The Minnesota Twins (63-59) will be trying to increase their lead in the AL Central standings when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates (54-67) in the first game of their three-game interleague series on Friday night.
Pablo Lopez, 8-6, 3.66 ERA, will get the start for the Twins. The Pirates will counter with Andre Jackson, 0-0, 5.47 ERA.
Minnesota is 7-3 in its last 10 games against Pittsburgh.
The Pirates followed up their win over the Mets with a loss in the series finale. They will try to bounce back from the loss with a win over the Twins, which will give them their third win in their last seven games and third straight win over the Twins.
Pittsburgh is averaging 4.18 runs per game. Their .235 batting average is 26th in the league. Their .313 on base percentage is 22nd, while their .388 slugging percentage is 25th.
Bryan Reynolds leads the Pirates with a .266 batting average and 59 RBI, while Jack Suwinski leads the team with 21 home runs.
Pittsburgh’s pitching has been good, with the team giving up 4.90 runs per game. Opponents have a .255 batting average against the Pirates, which is 23rd in the league. Their 4.58 ERA is 24th, as is their 1.40 WHIP.
In hi s last start, Jackson gave up five hits and three runs in 3.2 innings, leading to a 6-5 loss to Cincinnati. They will need a better effort from him if they want to win this game.