Article: That's The Ticket: The Bucs Stop Here

[Nick Nelson]

This week's short series against the Pirates at Target Field has a little bit of everything: a rarely seen interleague opponent with one of the game's biggest stars, an old friend taking the hill on Wednesday, and plenty of drama as two teams in the thick of the wild card race face off with the trade deadline bearing down.Proving Grounds

 

The Twins have a lot to prove this week. With a record that is six games above .500, they're still very much in the wild card mix, but ever since their magical run in May, they haven't shown the ability to overcome quality opponents.

 

If you count the home-and-away with the Cardinals – where the Twins lost two in St. Louis and then took two at Target Field – as a split, Minnesota has won only three series since the start of June. Those have come against the last-place White Sox, and the Orioles and Tigers – two reeling clubs that are now weighing the idea of selling and packing it in for 2015.

 

With the Pirates coming to town, the Twins have a chance to erase the bad taste from that brutal setback against the Yankees over the weekend and score some big wins against a high-end team.

 

Steel Curtain

 

At 57-41, the Pirates have the second-best record in the National League and third-best in baseball. They largely owe their success to some truly splendid work on the mound. Pittsburgh's 3.05 team ERA ranks second in the majors, trailing only St. Louis' ridiculous 2.65 mark. This is a very difficult team to score against, which won't play in favor of a Twins offense that has been held to three or fewer runs in six of nine contests since the break.

 

Center Stage

 

Byron Buxton is gearing up to start a rehab stint after losing more than a month to a thumb injury, and it's not clear what Minnesota's plan will be with the young outfielder when he's ready. However, fans at Target Field this week will get to catch a glimpse of the kind of player that we're all hoping Buxton eventually develops into.

 

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen appeared in his fifth straight All-Star Game earlier this month. He has placed among the Top 3 vote-getters for the NL MVP in each of the last three seasons, winning the award in 2013. Although he may have trouble breaking into that conversation this year, with sluggers like Bryce Harper and Paul Goldschmidt leading the pack, McCutchen is enjoying another excellent season. He's sporting a .292/.388/.488 slash line to go along with 25 doubles, 13 homers and five steals.

 

McCutchen is a special talent and a guy who's worth the price admission to see, especially in light of how rarely the opportunity arises. This is his first ever trip to Target Field and he probably won't be back soon.

 

Containing the Cutch will be a primary imperative for Twins pitchers in these two games. Speaking of pitchers, let's take a look at the starters that will be facing off.

 

PITCHING MATCH-UPS

 

Tuesday, 7:10 PM: RHP Charlie Morton vs. RHP Mike Pelfrey

 

This is a compelling tilt from numerous angles. On the one end, you've got a beatable opponent in Morton. His 4.59 ERA ranks as the worst of the Pirates starters and he has allowed nine runs over 12 2/3 innings in his two starts since the break. On the other end, you've got Pelfrey, who might be pitching for his job. Pelf has gone 0-5 with a 6.87 ERA in his past seven starts and it's tough to imagine the Twins putting up with that kind of output much longer, especially with Trevor May and Jose Berrios standing by.

 

If you want to see some runs scored, this game is your best bet.

 

Forecast (via Weather.com): Chance of storms early, high of 86

 

Wednesday, 12:10 PM: LHP Francisco Liriano vs. RHP Ervin Santana

 

Liriano is enjoying a third straight fantastic season in Pittsburgh, where he has recaptured the dominance that flashed so sporadically in his early career. He had his worst start of the year against Minnesota back in mid-May, when the Twins jumped all over him for seven runs in two innings, but since then he has gone 5-2 with a 2.10 ERA, .192 opponents' average and 84-to-21 K/BB ratio in 73 innings. He's really good.

 

Of course, Santana has also been really good since returning from his suspension, putting up a 2.60 ERA in four starts while holding the opposition to a .196 average.

 

When they're on their game, both Liriano and Santana feature wipe-out sliders, so life could be pretty tough in the batter's box on Wednesday afternoon. Fans of a good pitching duel ought to enjoy this one.

 

Forecast: Sunny, high of 83

 

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I hear Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers singing on an endless loop..... and he is not talking about skydiving.....