The Minnesota Twins begin a make or break five game series with the first place Cleveland Guardians on Friday. The Twins sit a handful of games behind the Guardians in the AL Central, so a strong showing here could get them back in the race. The Guardians lead the season series 9-4, and have won 5 straight. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
The Minnesota Twins spent much of the year in first place in the AL Central but the Guardians caught fire and took over first place. A big part of that run has been their dominance over the Twins. They are 9-4 against the Twins this year and have won 5 straight. So, not counting Thursday's game against the Royals, the Twins are now 5 games behind the Guardians in the division. Just as a strong showing in this five game series can bring them closer to Cleveland, another bad showing or wipeout could pretty much end their season.
The Twins have not yet named a starter for Friday's game. Chris Archer would have been the starter in this spot, but he is out for the season with a pectoral injury, which he got after his start against the Guardians last time out. The Twins staff has been decimated by injuries and there are not a lot of options left, so it will likely be a bullpen day or they'll call someone up from deep on the depth chart. The Twins have a team ERA of 4.00, which ranks 19th in baseball. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.89, which is 15th in the league.