Twins, Blue Jays Open Series in Toronto

MINNEAPOLIS (Interstat) — The Minnesota Twins, riding a four-game winning streak, open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Friday night.

The Twins (7-6) arrive after sweeping a four-game set from the Detroit Tigers, capped by a 3-1 victory Thursday. The Blue Jays (5-7) are looking to build momentum after a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday snapped a three-game skid.

Minnesota will send left-hander Patrick Corbin to the mound. Toronto will counter with right-hander Dylan Cease.

A player to watch for the Twins is right-hander Mick Abel, who delivered six scoreless innings with six strikeouts in Thursday’s win. Over his last three starts, Abel has a 7.36 ERA, but his latest outing was dominant.

For the Blue Jays, Cease has been a strikeout force, fanning 26 batters over 14 2/3 innings in his three starts this season. He earned the win Wednesday, allowing one run over five innings with eight strikeouts against the Dodgers.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is Twins 5, Blue Jays 3. Despite that projection, Toronto has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under is set at 9.5 runs.

Following this series, the Twins return home to face the Boston Red Sox for three games beginning Monday. The Blue Jays embark on a six-game road trip to Milwaukee and Arizona starting Tuesday.