Upbeat Twins Hoping to Stay Hot vs. Reeling Rangers
Surfing on the wave of victories
The Minnesota Twins are excited as they prepare to host the Texas Rangers at Target Field for a seven-game homestand starting Friday night.
Recent Change in Direction
The Twins have just won two important games against the Washington Nationals, boosting their spirits following a challenging seven-game losing streak. The team’s ability to relax on Thursday has prepared them to maintain their strong momentum moving forward.
Carlos Correa, an essential player in their recent wins, spread the good atmosphere in the clubhouse. Correa expressed that it has been wonderful – the energy and atmosphere in both the clubhouse and the dugout. Everyone is backing each other up and everyone is standing by each other. Correa has been performing exceptionally well, hitting two home runs in his last three games and maintaining a batting average of .268 with four home runs and 13 RBIs so far this season.
Rangers’ Struggles
On the flip side, the Rangers are having a rough time. They’ve lost four straight and 10 of their last 12 games, including being swept by the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game series. The Phillies outscored them 21-8, underscoring Texas’s current troubles.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy is facing several challenges, including an overworked bullpen. “They swing the bats,” Bochy said of the Phillies. “They’re one of the best offensive teams in baseball, and we caught a hot team. … We didn’t play our best baseball. We gave them a lot of runs in this series, and we know that. And we’ve got to score runs. It’s going to be up to this offense to come around, hopefully give the pitchers a little cushion.”
Pitching Matchup
The Twins are set to have right-hander Bailey Ober (4-2, 4.40 ERA) start the game. Ober aims to recover from a challenging performance against the Cleveland Guardians, in which he surrendered five runs on eight hits in four innings. He will be making his second career start against Texas.
The Rangers will respond by sending out right-handed pitcher Jose Urena (1-3, 3.29 ERA). Urena has posted solid starts in his most recent two games, but he has yet to secure a win. In the past, he has had difficulty facing the Twins, recording a 7.23 ERA in five outings (four of which were starts).
Game keys
The Twins’ emphasis on small-ball strategies and solid team unity could be essential against a struggling Rangers team in need of a comeback. Minnesota is looking to keep their winning streak going and gain momentum in the AL Central race with the support of their home crowd.