Four games and four wins. That’s the track record of today’s starter for the Dodgers, Eric Lauer, as he gets ready to face the Twins in a second straight appearance against an American League team. The Dodgers knew exactly what they were getting after acquiring Lauer a little more than a month ago, and they have produced enough offense to take advantage of his serviceable but far from spectacular performances, beating the Rockies, Diamondbacks, Pirates, and Rays—three teams with a record above .500.
One predictable aspect of Lauer’s game that has appeared in this short period as a Dodger is his propensity to give up long balls. The left-hander has allowed at least one home run in each of his four starts since joining the Dodgers, totaling five of them and only eight earned runs. While he’s been able to finesse his way into productive performances, if the homers keep coming, a blowup is on the horizon.
Projecting this matchup against this Twins offense, don’t be fooled by their record below .500 in an underwhelming AL Central—it is primarily a byproduct of their lousy pitching numbers. The Twins come into this matchup averaging 4.91 runs per game, the second-highest mark in the American League, trailing only the Yankees. Specifically on the subject of home runs, one name stands out: Byron Buxton. The Twins’ star center fielder has homered seven times in his last 14 games, totaling 24 on the season. Lauer and the Dodgers pitching staff as a whole have their work cut out for them, trying to contain Buxton.
Monday’s game info
- Teams: Dodgers at Twins
- Ballpark: Target Field, Minneapolis
- Start time: 4:40 p.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
