The Minnesota Twins (14-12) start a three-game series tonight at Target Field against the Boston Red Sox (15-13). Pregame Show comes your way at 6:30pm, and First Pitch scheduled for 7:10pm. Minnesota Twins Baseball, All Season Long, on 910 AM KCJB!!:):)!!
Game #2.....Saturday, 5/06.....Red Sox at Twins.....12:30pm / 1:10pm
Game #3.....Sunday, 5/07.....Red Sox at Twins.....12:30pm / 1:10pm
The Twins will start right-hander Phil Hughes, while the Red Sox will start left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
Three things to know By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com
• Hughes, who pitched with the Yankees from 2007-13, is plenty familiar with Boston, and is 6-9 with a career 5.36 ERA against the Red Sox. He's had trouble against second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who is a career .390/.419/.829 hitter against him, going 16-for-41 with five homers and 15 RBIs.
• Lifetime against the Twins, Rodriguez is 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA. But second baseman Brian Dozier has hit him hard, going 4-for-6 with two homers.
• Batters have put 21.7 percent of Hughes' pitches in play this season, tied for the 11th-highest rate in the Majors (minimum 300 pitches). They have averaged an exit velocity of 90.5 mph against him, third highest with a minimum of 50 batted balls. Those factors help explain why he has the fourth-highest rate of barrels allowed per plate appearance (10.3 percent).