Sept. 14—The Minnesota Twins will add a key player when they take on the Cincinnati Reds in the second game of a three-game series Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Minnesota (78-69) is expected to activate shortstop Carlos Correa before the game. Correa has been out since July 12 because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
The three-time All-Star hit .308 with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs in 75 games this season. His .896 OPS ranks first on the team among qualified hitters.
Correa and the Twins will face another tough test from Cincinnati (72-77), which is looking to play a spoilsport role in the final weeks before the offseason begins.
Twins head coach Rocco Baldelli knows his team has an advantage in claiming the American League’s final wild-card spot. However, he doesn’t pay attention to the standings every day.
“It doesn’t affect anything we do,” Baldelli said of the Twins, who are 2 1/2 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers for the final wild-card spot. “Our season is coming to an end. We’re going to do everything we can to win every game.”
“You can only give everything you have. We’ve said it in different conversations here, both on the player side and the decision-making side, there will be some urgency in whatever happens here from now on. It has to be that way… it’s time to do anything to win.
Reds right-hander Nick Martinez (8-6, 3.46 ERA) is expected to make his 14th start of the season on Saturday. He has spent most of the season in the bullpen and has proven capable as a member of the starting rotation.
Martinez has consecutive wins over the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves. In his most recent start, against Atlanta on Monday, he gave up two hits, walked one and struck out five in seven scoreless innings as the Reds won 1-0.
“My mindset is always to challenge people and I’m able to dictate and change the pace,” Martinez said after the performance. “(Catcher Tyler Stephenson) did a good job of recognizing swings and calling pitches. I thought we did a good job of keeping people off balance and making some weak contact.”
In five career games (four starts) against Minnesota, Martinez is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA. He gave up 16 earned runs in 21 1/3 innings, walked seven and struck out 18.
On Saturday, the Twins will face right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson (5-4, 3.96), who will make his 26th start of the season. He is looking for his first win since an Aug. 21 victory over the San Diego Padres.
Woods-Richardson allowed two runs on three hits in 4 1/3 innings in his most recent start, against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. He walked three times and struck out two.
This will be Woods-Richardson’s first career game against the Reds.
Twins outfielder Byron Buxton will stay hot in his second game after being activated from the injured list. Buxton appeared in his first game since Aug. 12 on Saturday and promptly hit a solo home run into the left field bleachers for his 17th homer of the season.
Eli De La Cruz is looking to continue a strong series for the Reds. He hit his first career grand slam in Cincinnati’s 8-4 win on Friday.
–Visual-level media
