MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins may be getting a
new stadium. But Johan Santana enjoys pitching at the
Metrodome.
Santana will try to remain unbeaten at home Tuesday night when
the Minnesota Twins host the Cleveland Indians in the opener of
a two-game series.
On Sunday, the Twins gained final approval by Minnesota
lawmakers for an open-air stadium that is slated to open in 2010
and replace the domed stadium.
But while that's a long way off, Santana (4-4, 3.23) will
continue to enjoy the mound at the Metrodome, where he is 32-13
lifetime and 3-0 this season. Overall, Santana has started to
get on a roll as he has won four of his last five starts with
the only loss coming last Wednesday in Detroit when he allowed
two runs and four hits in eight innings.
The Twins enter this series with six losses in their last eight
games. They failed to complete a three-game sweep at Milwaukee
as Jesse Crain gave up four runs while recording just one out in
the seventh inning of Sunday's 5-3 loss.
Cleveland swept a three-game set from the Twins in early April
at Jacobs Field and enters with five wins in its last six. After
sweeping Kansas City, the Indians took two of three from
Pittsburgh.
The Indians have dropped eight of their last 10 road contests
and will turn to Cliff Lee (3-4, 4.25), who is 0-2 with a 3.96
ERA in his four road starts.
The Indians have scored one run in each of those losses but Lee
also has allowed four earned runs or more in his last three
starts, including Thursday's win over Kansas City when he gave
up five runs and eight hits in six innings.