Cleveland Indians Kick Off Roadtrip in Minnesota Against the Twins

Names to Know

Brian Dozier

No one in MLB has been as hot offensively over the course of the second half as Minnesota’s slugging 29-year old second baseman. Since the all-star break, Dozier has slashed .323/.367/.755 (1.121 OPS) with 16 doubles, 25 home runs, 49 runs batted in, and an OPS+ of 194. If not for the Twins’ woeful record, he would very much be in the mix for AL Most Valuable Player.

On the season in total, Dozier has a .278/.348/.576 slash line and a 143 OPS+, and his 39 homers are closing in on the all-time single season high by a second baseman set by Davey Johnson of the Atlanta Braves in 1973.

A perennial Tribe killer, Dozier is slashing .297/.356/.656 in 15 games played against Cleveland this season, with six home runs, 17 RBIs, and an OPS+ 178. He is the most dangerous hitter in the big leagues right now, and the Indians’ pitching staff will have their hands full trying to contain him this weekend.

Hector Santiago

The left-handed starter Santiago, acquired by Minnesota from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline, has already made three starts against Cleveland this season, and they’ve each been very different. In total, the 28-year old has thrown 12.2 innings against the Tribe in 2016 (one start with the Angels, two with the Twins), yielding 10 runs on 15 hits, with seven walks and eight strikeouts.

Those numbers are good for a 6.39 ERA, with a .288/.367/.481 slash line and an OPS+ of 121 for Indians hitters. Still, in his last start against the team, on August 29th, Santiago went 6.1 innings scoreless, allowing just three hits in what became a 1-0 Cleveland win.

Whether Santiago, who will be on the mound for Saturday’s game, can replicate that performance or reverts to the sort of effort he put forth in his first two outings against the Indians will have an impact on how tough this series will be played.

Next: On the bump.