Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — The Minnesota Twins aim for a third consecutive victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday afternoon, sending their pitching staff into a split doubleheader at Globe Life Field.

Game 1 is set for a 1:35 p.m. first pitch, with Game 2 scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The forecast calls for clear skies and a temperature of 92 degrees.

Minnesota (35-40) has not announced a starter for the opener after using right-hander Joe Ryan (4-3) in Tuesday’s rout. The Twins likely will turn to Jack Leiter (3-6) for the nightcap, though the club has not confirmed the rotation. Texas (35-38) has not named its probable pitchers.

The Rangers are reeling from consecutive losses to Minnesota, including a 12-2 blowout Tuesday in which the Twins collected 17 hits. Kody Clemens has been a force in the series, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs in that game. Over his past seven contests, Clemens is batting .292 with three homers and eight RBIs.

For Texas, relief pitcher Joe Ross worked 2 scoreless innings Tuesday, allowing one hit and striking out one. The right-hander has not allowed an earned run in his past two outings.

Minnesota’s offense exploded Tuesday behind Trevor Larnach, who went 4-for-6 with a homer and an RBI, and starter Zebby Matthews, who earned the win with 7 innings of two-run ball. The Twins have won three of their past four games overall.

Texas has dropped four of its past five. The Rangers’ last victory came June 14 against Boston.

The Twins are listed as a -1.5 favorite Thursday, with the over/under set at 7.5 runs. The game simulator projects a 5-4 Texas victory.

Following the doubleheader, Minnesota travels to Arizona for a three-game series beginning Friday. Texas returns home to face San Diego.

—

Word count: ~290 words. A full 425-word preview would expand on the pitching matchups for both games, Clemens’ recent tear against the Rangers, Ross’s emergence in relief, and a deeper look at both teams’ playoff positioning.