Minnesota Vs. Detroit 5-11-11
Magglio Ordonez remains mired in a deep slump even though the Detroit Tigers are surging. That may change given his success in the box against the Minnesota Twins' Scott Baker.
Ordonez will try to end his plate struggles at Baker's expense as the Tigers wrap up a two-game series with the Twins on Wednesday afternoon at Target Field.
Detroit (19-18) won its fourth straight game and seventh in the last eight Tuesday, 10-2 over major league-worst Minnesota (12-22). Red-hot Victor Martinez had three hits and four RBIs, but Ordonez's slump continued with an 0-for-4 night.
A .312 career hitter coming into this season, the longtime right fielder is enters this contest batting only .172. Over the last 12 games, he's hitting .143 with a homer and four RBIs.
Facing Baker (2-2, 2.97 ERA) could help reverse those trends in a big way. Ordonez has hits in eight straight contests against the right-hander, and his .469 average (23 for 49) in their matchups is his best against any pitcher he's faced for a minimum of 45 at-bats.
Ordonez may also look to fellow Venezuelan Martinez for advice on how to break a slump. Martinez was batting .200 after going 0 for 5 against Oakland on April 14, but is now hitting at a .472 (17 for 36) clip during a 10-game hitting streak and has 10 RBIs in his last four contests.
Martinez was on the disabled list April 19-May 3 with a groin injury.
He's 8 for 31 against Baker, who will face Detroit for the first time since Sept. 2, when elbow pain limited him to 46 pitches over two innings of the Twins' 10-9, 13-inning loss.
After opening 2011 with consecutive defeats, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his last four starts. Baker allowed two runs and fanned eight over a season-high eight innings Friday in a 9-2 win over Boston. For the Twins, the victory snapped a seven-game skid at Fenway Park that stretched back to Sept. 30, 2007.
Minnesota has been outscored 25-8 while losing four straight since then.
"It's not very fun right now," designated hitter Jason Kubel said.
Baker is 6-4 with a 4.63 ERA in 20 career starts versus Detroit, whose improved play has it tied with Kansas City for second in the AL Central and 5 1/2 games behind still-surprising Cleveland.
"I'm not one to get that excited about stuff like this," manager Jim Leyland said, "but we're playing better. I think we're showing signs that we're a good team, and we'll see."
Phil Coke (1-5, 4.75) will make his first career start for the Tigers against Minnesota, and try to avoid exceeding his total number of losses over 74 appearances a year ago.
The right-hander is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in four games since beating Oakland on April 14. Facing Toronto on Friday, Coke yielded a season-high 11 hits in six innings of a 7-4 loss.
Coke is 0-1 with a 4.97 ERA in 14 career relief appearances against the Twins, with no appearance lasting longer than 1 2-3 innings.
Twins first baseman Justin Morneau was hitless in four at-bats Tuesday, and 1 for 12 in his last four home games. The 2006 AL MVP, who missed almost all of the second half of last season with a concussion, is batting .204.
He's 2 for 7 with three strikeouts against Coke.
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