MLB Game Preview - Cleveland at Minnesota

Sun Aug 11, 2019 2:10 PM EDT

After losing sole possession of first place in the American League Central by losing the first two games of their four-game series with Cleveland, the Minnesota Twins have a chance to go back two games ahead of the Indians if they can win Sunday afternoon's finale at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Minnesota, behind 5 2/3 shutout innings by Jake Odorizzi, who won his 13th game of the season, moved back a game ahead of Cleveland with a 4-1 victory on Saturday night, snapping a season-high four-game losing streak in the process.

Right-hander Jose Berrios (10-6, 3.24 ERA), who is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in three starts against the Indians this season and 5-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 10 career starts against Cleveland, will start for the Twins on Sunday. Right-hander Aaron Civale (1-1, 0.75), who has allowed just one run and five hits over 12 innings while striking out 13 in two major league starts, gets the call for Cleveland.

The Indians, who trailed the Twins by 11 1/2 games on June 2, hope to win the series and leave Minnesota with a share of the top spot.

"We've still got seven games against them after this series," Jason Kipnis told Cleveland.com. "We've still got a month and a half of baseball left. It's not life or death, but it's one where we'd like to come in, especially after winning the first two, (and make) a statement by winning three."

Odorizzi pitched around six hits and four walks to blank the Indians, who were just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.

"I had to grind through it," Odorizzi said. "Make big pitches in big spots. That's pretty much what it's about. You've got to get the job done one way or another. Sometimes it's not pretty, but as long as you get it done that's all that matters."

"I thought Odorizzi pitched fantastic tonight," Kipnis said. "I thought he really made his pitches. Trust me, we clearly see that hole at shortstop where we want to hit a ground ball through it. I'm saying, 'OK, you give me a fastball away or any off-speed and I'm aiming that way.' So he gives me four fastballs up and in. They have a plan for the way their defense is shaped, and I thought he pitched to it perfectly."

Odorizzi told reporters he put a tourniquet to the Twins' slump and urged Minnesota fans to remain calm.

"That's what I always try to pride myself (in) to be the guy that stops it," Odorizzi said. "Somebody has to play the tourniquet at some point, it might as well be me. I kind of pride myself in doing that.

"The tourniquet thing is a good analogy, not only in here -- we're pretty confident -- but for the city in general that's kind of in panic mode right now. Everything's going to be fine. That's how we take it in here."

Odorizzi was asked if he could sense the fans' panic after Minnesota blew an 11 1/2-game lead in a little over two months.

"I know there have been some tough years in multiple sports (in Minnesota) and it just kind of carries over to this," he said. "That's not our control. We're not fans. We've got to go out and do our jobs but it's easy to look too far to find panic.

"But there's no panic in here. We know what type of team we are. At some point (Cleveland) is going to slow down and not win at a .800 clip or whatever they've been doing. Sometimes you need to weather the storm and build the lead back up."

--Field Level Media