Twins circle wagons Vs. Tribe.

[Durango53]

GAME: Minnesota Twins (6-3) at Cleveland Indians (4-5).

TIME: Friday, 7:05 p.m. EDT.

Johan Santana has picked up right where he left off in 2004, and he isn't showing any signs of slowing down.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner looks to win his 16th straight decision, and third in as many starts this year, when the Minnesota Twins open a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field.

Santana, who went 20-6 with a 2.61 ERA last season, has extended his club-record win streak to 15 by posting victories in each of his first two outings in 2005. The left-hander was brilliant Sunday, yielding two runs and seven hits over seven strong innings, striking out 11 and walking just one in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

The victory helped the Twins end a two-game losing streak, and kept Santana unbeaten since a 2-0 setback to Detroit last July 11.

"You don't want to get swept by your rivals," said Santana, who signed a four-year, $40 million deal in the offseason. "It's early in the season, but every game counts."

The Twins won their fourth straight and completed a three-game sweep of Detroit with Thursday's 10-4 victory.

Brad Radke pitched six solid innings and Lew Ford hit a three-run homer as the Twins remained unbeaten since an 8-5 loss to the White Sox on Saturday.

The Indians averted a three-game sweep by the White Sox with Thursday's come-from-behind 8-6 victory.

Travis Hafner delivered a two-run double, Victor Martinez hit his first homer of the year and Ben Broussard also drove in two runs for Cleveland, which banged out 10 hits after entering the game with the fewest runs (31) and lowest batting average (.211) in the AL.

[Durango53]

STANDINGS: Twins - 1st place (tied), AL Central. Indians - 3rd place, 2 GB, AL Central.

[Durango53]

The Twins will get their first look at the Indians this season when they begin a three-game series at Jacobs Field on Friday.

Left-hander Johan Santana will start for Minnesota against Cleveland's Jake Westbrook.

Santana gave up two runs on seven hits with a walk and 11 strikeouts in a 5-2 win over the White Sox on Sunday. Dating back to last season, the left-hander is riding a 15-game winning streak -- going 15-0 in 17 starts.

The Twins have won four in a row while Cleveland is coming off dropping two of three to the White Sox at home.

[Durango53]

TWINS PROBABLE STARTER: Santana (2-0, 4.50 ERA). Santana has never lost to the Indians, going 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 15 career appearances, including five starts. Last year, he went 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two outings against Cleveland. Santana was 9-2 with a 2.58 ERA in 14 road starts last year.

MIN: LHP Johan Santanahttp://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/276371.jpg
• 2-0, 4.50 ERA in 2005
• 1-0, 2.70 ERA in 2004 vs. CLE

CLE RHP Jake Westbrookhttp://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/150414.jpg
• 0-2, 7.20 ERA in 2005
• 1-2, 4.50 ERA in 2004 vs. MIN

INDIANS PROBABLE STARTER: Jake Westbrook (0-2, 7.20 ERA). After pitching brilliantly in a season-opening 1-0 loss to the White Sox, Westbrook was pounded for eight runs and seven hits over only two innings in Saturday's 11-1 loss at Detroit. The right-hander, who won a career-high 14 games last year, struck out one and walked two. Westbrook is 3-4 with a 4.27 ERA in 12 career appearances, including six starts, against the Twins.

[Durango53]

OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Twins - Jacque Jones, .407 avg.; Jones and Torii Hunter, 2 HRs and 9 RBIs; Ford, 6 runs; Hunter, 4 SBs. Indians - Ronnie Belliard, .280 avg.; Aaron Boone, 2 HRs and 6 RBIs; Coco Crisp, 5 runs; Casey Blake, 2 SBs.

[Durango53]

2004 SEASON SERIES: Twins, 12-7.

[Durango53]

STREAKS AND NOTES: Twins - Manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected from Thursday's game for arguing after home plate umpire Ed Hickox warned RHP Radke after hitting Detroit's Marcus Thames with a pitch. ... The Twins will play 11 of their next 13 games on the road, all against AL Central opponents. ... OF-DH Ford is 6-for-10 in his career against RHP Westbrook. Indians - C Martinez snapped out of an 0-for-16 slump by going 2-for-4 with two RBIs on Thursday. ... OF-INF Blake is 6-for-15 (.400) with a homer and two RBIs in his career against LHP Santana. ... Westbrook is making his first start at home, where he went 7-2 with a 2.36 ERA in 14 appearances, including 12 starts, last year.

[Durango53]

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Twins - 2-1 on the road; Indians - 1-2 at home.

[Durango53]

Players to watch
Lew Ford is 6-for-10 (.600) lifetime against Westbrook. Meanwhile, Luis Rivas is 7-for-16 (.438) with one home run and four RBIs. Shannon Stewart is 7-for-19 (.368) with one homer and three RBIs.

[Durango53]

Quotable
"A hard-nosed played series. Those guys are much like our team. They don't have too many big-boppers in their lineup, but they can put together a few hits, they score runs, they run around and put pressure on you. They have good pitching." -- Twins right fielder Jacque Jones on his expectations of the series at Cleveland

[Durango53]

Quick hits
Jones had his third multi-RBI game of the season Thursday, the second time he has had two RBIs in a game. ... Mike Redmond had his first multi-RBI game Thursday since he had three RBIs May 21, 2004, vs. Arizona. ... Michael Cuddyer walked a career-high three times in Thursday's game.

[Durango53]

On television
• MIN: none
• CLE: FSN Ohio

On radio
• MIN: WCCO 830-AM
• CLE: WTAM 1100-AM

[Timberwolf]

After a successful homestand which included the sweep of the Tigers, the Twins go on the road to play hated rivals in the Indians and She-ca-go. First things first and that's the Cleveland Indians. This is a big series. Indians are more of a threat to the Twins than She-ca-go IMO. Indians got good young pitching and great hitters. Unfortunately for them, they got pen problems. Still that team is a threat. Indians have played the Twins tough even when they stunk in 2002. Twins have won the season series in the last three years, but as Ron Gardenhire and his team will tell you that it has not been easy going up against them.

Indians have been a hated rival for the Twins. There is no love lost from both organization especially with the hatred coming from the Indians. This hatred began in 2001 when the Twins were the team on the rise and as the veteran Indians would go degrade the Twins and all. I think Indians/Twins is a poor man's version of Yankees/Red Sox rivalry. I don't think anyone like each other and I expect this rivalry to match up a notch. I was reading a quote from that gangsta C.C. Sabathia on Sunday about how he hates the Twins and he seems serious too. Well I don't like him either and I hope he gets his Sunday afternoon when he makes his first start.

A good pitching duel tonight between Johan and Indians All-Star pitcher Jake Westbrook at Jacobs Field. Johan has not lost in quite some time. I just hope it's not tonight against the hated Indians. His counterpart, Jake Westbrook has proven that his great year last year has not been a fluke so far.

Should be a interesting series especially with the Indians ready to vent after the tough losses with She-ca-go.

Cy-tana vs. Westbrook

GO TWINS!

[Durango53]

If that change up is coming out like it was the last time Johan pitched the Indians are in for a long night.

[curt4074]

GAME TIME Morneau on to Florida On monday, and Silva to start in Beloit on SUNDAY

[Durango53]

Just got back in got to see what is up.

[Durango53]

I see Twins win!!!!!

[Timberwolf]

Great ballgame tonight and a great win for the good guys. A character win for sure. Both teams played well tonight. I am just glad the Twins pulled it out especially with a neophyte starting for the Twins tommorow afternoon in Dave Gassner.

I was biting my fingernails and crossing my fingers all night long. This Indians team always scare me and tonight was no different. Indians made the Twins pitchers work all night long. I am just glad the pitchers found a way to dig deep and get it done.

Johan was good out there despite giving up two HRs. You gotta give the Indians credit in their approach of trying to hit Johan tonight. They were hitting some of his pitches and they made him work out there like fouling out his pitches. Fortunately for Johan and the Twins, he got it done as he was able to get out of jams through strikeouts and groundballs. He had 10 K's tonight. That is sick. I think you can bet the house that Johan will average 10 K's a game. That's how great he is. He pitches well beyond his age. He knows how to get out of jams so well that it's becoming a craft for him. He is on a 16-game winning streak and I am just glad he was able to keep his winning streak going. I could live with him losing to a bad team, but not against a divisional team like the Indians or the White Sox.

The bullpen was huge as usual. J.C. was in a jam, but he found a way to get out of it with strikeouts. I can't tell you how proud I am at J.C. I know he is not going to keep it up and I am waiting for the shoe to drop, but I am going to enjoy his performance while it last. Juan was huge too in the eighth when the Indians were threatening. In the ninth, Joe was Joe.

It was good to get couple of big two-out hits by Terry and Matthew. I can't say enough about the job that Terry has done since his call-up . Twins really need to find a way to keep him on the roster because he can hit. As for Matthew, I like how he is getting on base and getting hits. I know that won't last so I will enjoy that as well.

I thought Torii and Shannon was great defensively. They robbed some hits off the Indians hitters.

Great win overall. It was good to start the series with a win.

It's a shame the game was not televised in the Twin Cities because it was a good game even though it seemed long.