Rays play Twins, look to build on 5-game win streak
Minnesota Twins (37-17, first in the AL Central) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (34-19, second in the AL East)
St. Petersburg, Florida; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Twins: Martin Perez (7-1, 2.95 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 56 strikeouts) Rays: Charlie Morton (5-0, 2.54 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 77 strikeouts)
LINE: Rays favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 8 runs
BOTTOM LINE: Tampa Bay enters the game as winners of their last five games.
The Rays are 16-11 on their home turf. The Tampa Bay offense has compiled a .258 batting average as a team this season, good for sixth in the MLB. Austin Meadows leads the team with an average of .360.
The Twins are 18-8 on the road. Minnesota has hit 106 combined home runs this season, most in the American League. Eddie Rosario leads the club with 17, averaging one every 12.3 at-bats.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tommy Pham leads the Rays with 60 hits and is batting .299. Kevin Kiermaier is 10-for-30 with three doubles, three home runs and seven RBIs over the last 10 games for Tampa Bay.
Jorge Polanco leads the Twins with 28 extra base hits and is batting .335. Max Kepler is 16-for-34 with seven doubles, three home runs and 12 RBIs over the last 10 games for Minnesota.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rays: 7-3, .287 batting average, 3.50 ERA, outscored opponents by 13 runs
Twins: 8-2, .305 batting average, 3.24 ERA, outscored opponents by 49 runs
Rays Injuries: Tyler Glasnow: 60-day IL (forearm), Jose De Leon: 60-day IL (elbow), Anthony Banda: 60-day IL (elbow), Joey Wendle: 10-day IL (wrist), Matt Duffy: 60-day IL (back), Yandy Diaz: 10-day IL (hand), Mike Zunino: 10-day IL (quad), Michael Perez: 10-day IL (oblique), Anthony Bemboom: 10-day IL (knee).
Twins Injuries: Michael Pineda: 10-day IL (knee), Adalberto Mejia: 10-day IL (calf), Byron Buxton: day-to-day (knee), Nelson Cruz: 10-day IL (wrist), Mitch Garver: 10-day IL (ankle).
