Twins @ Rangers

Who will WIN this matchup?

Minnesota Twins (75-48)

@ Texas Rangers (60-63)

Starting Pitchers:

Perez (MIN): 8-5; 4.57 ERA

Lynn (TEX) 14-8; 3.54 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Minnesota Twins: 5-5

Texas Rangers: 2-8

Current odds:

Minnesota Twins: (+125)

Texas Rangers: (-135)

• Martin Perez spent the bulk of his career with the Texas Rangers before joining Minnesota this year, while Lance Lynn made 20 starts for the Twins a year ago. Oddly enough, both pitchers will be matched up against their former teams – as well as one another – when the Twins go for a sweep of their four-game series at Texas on Sunday. The Twins boosted their major league-leading total to 240 homers in Saturday’s 12-7 victory, getting two-run blasts from Miguel Sano and C.J. Cron to increase their lead over Cleveland in the American League Central to 2 1/2 games. Marwin Gonzalez has not joined the homer parade in the series, but he is crushing Texas pitching, going 10-for-15 with four RBIs as Minnesota improved to 4-1 on its six-game road trip.

• Former Twin Danny Santana did his best to bring the Rangers back from a pair of early six-run deficits by belting a pair of two-run homers to surpass 20 for the first time in his career. Texas, which has lost nine of its last 11 to fall three games under .500 for the first time since May 18, has allowed at least 12 runs in half its last six contests.

• Perez worked six innings for the sixth time in his last eight starts but did not factor in the decision at Milwaukee on Tuesday after permitting an unearned run and six hits. The biggest positive was keeping the ball in the park after the 28-year-old Venezuelan surrendered a staggering 11 home runs in his first five turns following the All-Star break. Shin-Soo Choo is hitless in six at-bats versus Perez, who defeated Texas on July 5 despite yielding four runs in six innings.

• Lynn will make his third attempt at recording his 15th win and hope for some more offensive support after suffering back-to-back losses at Toronto and Cleveland despite allowing a combined three runs and eight hits over 12 innings. The 32-year-old has permitted only one earned run and four hits in each of his last four starts while registering 32 strikeouts over 25 frames. Lynn, who is 9-1 with a 3.94 ERA in a dozen home starts, has held Jonathan Schoop to one hit in eight at-bats.

• Minnesota is 27 homers shy of tying the major-league record set by the New York Yankees last year.

• Choo is 4-for-9 in the series after going 2-for-28 in his previous nine games.

• Cron became the sixth Minnesota player to hit 20 homers this season, matching the franchise record set in 1964.