The San Diego Padres play host to the Minnesota Twins in the finale of their weekend series from Petco Park. The two teams have split the first two games of the series and grabbing a series win on Sunday would be instrumental towards both finding some success going forward. The Twins sit atop their division while the Padres have their eyes on the Wild Card spot, making Sunday a crucial game either way for both sides.
The Twins have spent nearly the entire season atop the NL Central but as the season continues to progress, it's clear that winning the division might not be as easy as originally envisioned. Their lead ahead of Cleveland and Chicago has been cut down to only a few games and pressure is starting to build. The Twins have only gone 4-6 in their last ten games but have shown signs of life on the road, where they continue to have a winning record. After grabbing the win on Saturday, this team is looking to use that momentum to make it a series win on Sunday.
Injuries have been mounting of late, only adding to his team's misfortune. Positionally, they continue to be without Royce Lewis (knee), Trevor Larnach (abdominal), Miguel Sano (knee), and Max Kepler (toe). Adding that to five relievers being out and the lack of depth could be a concern in the series finale.
5 hits, 5 runs deserves a hug. ??#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/pUc15WjC9r
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 31, 2022
According to MLB.com, Dylan Bundy will get the ball for the Twins on the backend of the rotation. The righty comes in with a 6-4 record and 5.02 ERA and has been far from elite so far this season. He's coming off of a rough start against the Brewers, which saw him allow five runs across four innings of work. The major concern has been his inability to go deep into games, especially with the bullpen issues.
Offensively, this team remains dangerous and well built to attack San Diego's pitching. They rank in the top ten in baseball in runs scored per nine innings, average, OPS, and home runs, while ranking twelfth in strikeout rate. Even with the injuries, this team has the depth to continue to find success. Luis Arraez (.334 average) has been strong all season, while the middle of the lineup in Byron Buxton (26 HRs) and Jorge Polanco (49 RBI) have plenty of ability to be dangerous.