Hard-hitting Twins hope to keep swinging vs. Astros

The Minnesota Twins will host the Houston Astros in a four-game series after belting 12 homers in a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend. Minnesota will look for more offensive success against the Astros when their series starts Monday night, although Houston is certainly a much tougher team.

Still, the Twins crushed Baltimore's pitching in a six-game season sweep of the Orioles. They hit 23 homers during that time, including two in Sunday's 4-1 victory over Baltimore -- solo homers by Max Kepler and Byron Buxton.

The Twins have been hitting well in the first month of the season, a big reason they have won seven of their last nine games -- the two losses in a three-game series with Houston last week.

"When our guys are having at-bats like they're having them, you try to ride it out as long as you can and keep it going," manager Rocco Baldelli told the team's website after Sunday's win.

Kyle Gibson earned the victory Sunday with a strong seven-inning effort, and he said that when a team's offense is going like Minnesota's is, it helps everyone feel better.

"When your offense is swinging the bat like they are, that's one thing that really drives confidence for a team," Gibson told the team's website. "When your offense is going to swing the bats like that, you're going to have a lot of confidence."

The Twins made a move on Sunday, putting versatile Willians Astudillo on the injured list due to hamstring issues that forced him out early during Saturday's win. They brought up Jake Cave from Triple-A Rochester to take his spot on the roster.

Houston is coming off of a 4-1 victory against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday night, and that gave the Astros a split of the four-game series with the Indians.

Robinson Chirinos crushed a three-run homer in the seventh that was the deciding hit in the win by the Astros. But manager A.J. Hinch knows what's coming with the Twins since the Astros saw them last weekend and because they've hit so well recently.

"They're a good team," Hinch told the team's website. "They homer like crazy. I consider them strong contenders with the Indians in the Central."

The Astros have won two in a row, taking Saturday's game against the Indians 4-3 in 10 innings thanks to Tony Kemp's pinch-hit walk-off homer.

Hinch also told the team's website that when they play the Los Angeles Angels in Monterrey next weekend (Saturday, Sunday), they'll likely add a pitcher, as they're allowed to add a 26th player for those types of trips.

He said that will be decided after the Astros see what shape the pitching staff/bullpen is in following the Twins' series.

For the Twins, Jake Odorizzi (2-2, 4.37 ERA) will start the series opener against Justin Verlander (4-0, 2.61). Odorizzi has won two in a row, including beating the Astros on April 22, when he gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

He has a 4-1 record and a 2.29 ERA in six career starts against Houston.

The veteran Verlander is coming off a strong performance against the Twins on Wednesday, giving up just one run on four hits in a season-best eight innings. He also struck out eight.

In his career, Verlander is 20-9 with a 2.94 ERA in 37 starts against the Twins.

--Field Level Media