Twins vs Pirates Preview: Quiet Giants Meet in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh won yesterday 10-9 in an absolute slugfest. The Pirates' bats woke up fast. Mangum launched a bomb to right-center. Cruz cranked a massive 420-foot shot to center. Reynolds added a homer to cap the explosion. Minnesota fought back hard though. Clemens tripled and singled. Gray and Bell doubled. But the Pirates' hitting power proved too strong down the stretch. Now Pittsburgh heads into Sunday riding momentum at home. The Twins need to slow down this hot Pirates offense.

Zebby Matthews takes the mound for Minnesota against Pittsburgh's Braxton Ashcraft. The Twins' pitching staff relies on steady starters like Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober. Matthews needs to throw strikes and keep the Pirates' bats quiet. Pittsburgh has Paul Skenes as their ace, but Ashcraft is a solid second option. The Pirates' bullpen has Dennis Santana closing games. Minnesota's Taylor Rogers provides experience in the late innings. Whoever throws better today controls the game. The Twins sit at 27-32 on the season. Pittsburgh stands at 31-28 and won their last two games. This matchup matters for both teams' playoff hopes.

The Twins' injury list keeps growing. Ryan Jeffers needs surgery on his hand and won't return until July. Cole Sands and Mick Abel are both sidelined with arm troubles. Kendry Rojas has elbow soreness too. These losses hurt Minnesota's depth badly. Pittsburgh got good news though. Ryan O'Hearn should return to play today after missing time with a quad strain. The 32-year-old is having an excellent season, batting .289 with seven homers and 29 RBIs. His bat gives the Pirates extra punch in the lineup. Minnesota must score without Jeffers' power behind the plate. Today's game could shift momentum in this series one final time.