Twins play rubber match with Brewers
(SportsNetwork.com) - The Minnesota Twins look to keep pace in the American League Central when they play the rubber match of a three-game series Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
The Twins are 4 1/2 games behind the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central and recorded a 5-2 win over the Brewers on Saturday.
Torii Hunter had the 18th multi-home run game of his career for the Twins, who won for the sixth time in 10 tries. Kyle Gibson pitched 6 2/3 solid innings, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts, and Glen Perkins recorded his 24th save in as many opportunities.
"(Gibson) has to trust his stuff," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "It's really good. People don't square him up a ton."
Tommy Milone gets the nod for the Twins Sunday and the lefty is 4-1 with a 3.59 ERA in eight starts. Milone goes for a third straight win and is coming off Monday's 13-2 pounding of the Chicago White Sox in which he gave up two runs and 10 hits in six innings.
Milone threw seven innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 victory over St. Louis on June 17. He won his only career start against the Brewers, allowing two runs and five hits in seven innings of work.
The Brewers have lost 10 of their last 14 games and starter Matt Garza joined Philadelphia's Aaron Harang as 10-game losers in the majors this season after allowing four runs on five hits and three walks in six innings.
Adam Lind went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Ryan Braun drove in a run in defeat.
Milwaukee will visit Philadelphia next for four games at Citizens Bank Park.
Taking the mound for the Crew Sunday will be Mike Fiers. The struggling right- hander is 3-7 in 15 starts with a 4.39 earned run average and did not factor in the outcome of a 3-2 win over the New York Mets on Tuesday, as he yielded a pair of runs and four hits in six innings.
Fiers was tagged for six runs and eight hits across five innings of a 10-2 loss at Kansas City on June 17. He is 1-4 in eight home starts and 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA in three meetings (2 starts) lifetime against the Twins.
Milwaukee took two of three from the Twins in Minnesota earlier this month.