Minnesota Twins DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez was strong on the mound during Saturday's outing against the Seattle Mariners. The right-hander recorded nine strikeouts while allowing only one run over six innings of work in the win. This is now back-to-back outings that Lopez has recorded at least nine strikeouts and allowed just one run over his last 14 innings. He'll hope to keep the good times rolling ahead of his next start against the Houston Astros.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was the team's primary source of offense during Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The 30-year-old hit a tie-breaking RBI double off starter Bryce Miller in the fourth inning. Later, Buxton blasted a three-run home run against reliever Trent Thornton to help the Twins pull away. He finished the day 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in the win. Buxton is hitting .389 with five home runs and two steals over his last 15 games. Fantasy managers should make sure to get him in their lineups right now.

Minnesota Twins infielder Royce Lewis is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners. This appears to be a routine rest day for the 25-year-old superstar. The oft-injured infielder has been struggling to stay healthy, so it's not surprising to see the Twins giving him extra rest days. Jose Miranda will cover third base while Trevor Larnach functions as the designated hitter versus right-hander Bryce Miller on Saturday.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober pitched six innings of one-run ball in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Mariners. Ober allowed just two hits and three walks while striking out nine batters, but did not factor into the decision. It was the 28-year-old's third straight quality start, although the prior two games both came against the Athletics. The Mariners and the A's are the two teams that strike out the most in the majors, which propelled Ober to his strong results over the last three games: 2-0, 1.69 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and a 5:27 BB:K in 21.1 IP. The righty gets another favorable matchup his next time out when he faces the Tigers at home next Thursday. The Tigers have the fourth-lowest team batting average in the majors.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Seattle Mariners. This appears to be nothing more than a routine rest day for Buxton. This is odd timing considering Buxton went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run on Thursday. This is likely part of the Twins plan to try and keep the oft-injured outfielder as healthy as possible. Manuel Margot will cover center field and bat eighth versus right-hander Logan Gilbert on Friday.