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Minnesota Twins vs Colorado Rockies Series Preview

By Linda Johnson

Apr 24, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Phil Hughes (45) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Phil Hughes (45) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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Early surprises meet in Minneapolis; Will the Minnesota Twins’ rotation cool off Rockies’ hot bats or will Colorado’s offense shut down the Twins’ staff?

The Minnesota Twins open a 3 game home stand today against the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies have surprised many, coming into the series atop the NL West at 24-15. The Twins are alone atop the AL Central at 19-15 with Ervin Santana set to throw on Wednesday.

Colorado is sending Kyle Freeland to the mound in just his fourth major league start on Tuesday. The Twins have Phil Hughes going, who gave up five runs in his latest start against the White Sox.

Both teams have been better away from home this season with the Twins at just 8-10 at Target Field.

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The biggest question mark for the series will be the Twins’ pitching against the Rockies’ bats. Mark Reynolds has gone deep 13 times this season and, with Hughes’ struggles, could turn Target Field into a home run derby.

The Rockies can score a lot of runs. It will be up to the Twins’ defense to make plays when it counts and cool off the Rockies’ bats.

Wednesday’s match-up looks much more favorable for the Twins with Santana on the mound. After giving up a season-high 6 runs to the Red Sox in early May, Santana settled in against the Indians, giving up only 2 hits in 7 innings.

He definitely looks to be back on track as he takes the mound against German Marquez, who has only 4 starts on the season with mixed results.

The key to this series is going to be the Twins offense. They will have to take advantage of the inexperience of the Rockies’ pitchers if they want to get the advantage. Colorado has shown that they can score runs and win on the road.

Next: Who's Hot and Who's Not: Mid-May

In conclusion, if the Twins want to keep 1st place in the Central, plating runs is going to be a must.

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