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Livan Hernandez has pitched in 365 regular-season games during a successful career that’s about to span 13 seasons.
None of those, however, have come against the Cleveland Indians, although he’s still had a major impact on their franchise.
The Minnesota Twins right-hander will finally make that appearance against the Indians in the deciding game of their three-game set Thursday night in Cleveland.
Oddsmakers from Sportsbook.com have made Cleveland -183 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 9.5 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 68% of bets for this game have been placed on Cleveland -183 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Hernandez (6-3, 5.32 ERA), who has faced every other major league team in the regular season during his career, is no stranger, however, to matching up against the Indians. As a member of the Florida Marlins, he went 2-0 with a 5.27 ERA in two games of the 1997 World Series against Cleveland and was named MVP as the Marlins won in seven games.
Cleveland is still searching for its first World Series title since 1948.
He hopes his first start prior to October against Cleveland (30-36) will help Minnesota (32-34) win two in a row and take this series. The Twins snapped a six-game losing streak with an 8-5 win on Wednesday after falling 1-0 in Tuesday’s series opener.
Hernandez has struggled of late, going 0-2 with an 8.16 ERA in his last five contests since beating Boston on May 12. He allowed seven runs and eight hits in four innings of an 11-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
"I’ve got to get out of a bad situation right now," Hernandez said. "I know I got a chance to help the team win more games, but right now, I’m just struggling. But I never put my head down. That’s important to me. I’m the kind of guy … I have a bad game and come back tomorrow and try to be better."
The Twins were better Wednesday after losing the first five on their 10-game road trip. Justin Morneau drove in three runs, Jason Kubel had three hits including a two-run homer and Carlos Gomez went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.
"It was a sigh of relief to be able to exhale a bit," said Minnesota’s Michael Cuddyer as the Twins snapped their longest losing streak since dropping eight straight in 2003.
Minnesota had been outscored 44-17 while hitting .178 and posting an 8.08 ERA during the recent slide.
Kubel, though, is 5-for-11 with two homers and five RBIs in his last three games and is hitting .429 (6-for-14) against the Indians this season.
Grady Sizemore hit a three-run homer and Casey Blake had three hits Wednesday for Cleveland, which has lost 17 of 25 games. Sizemore has hit safely in eight straight games while batting .333 with two homers and five RBIs during that stretch.
Cleveland is expected to be without All-Star catcher Victor Martinez for this contest after he left Wednesday’s game with an inflamed right elbow. He is scheduled to have an MRI exam Thursday.
"Victor got hurt on a swing in the first inning," Indians manager Eric Wedge said of Martinez, who is hitting just .278 with no homers and 21 RBIs. "It’s something that’s been bothering him on and off all year."
Aaron Laffey (3-3, 2.98) takes the mound for Cleveland on Thursday after failing to factor in the decision of his last two outings. He allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings of an 8-4 loss at Detroit on Saturday.
The left-hander will make his first start against Minnesota this season after going 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in his only two career starts against the Twins in 2007.
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