Preview: Indians Start Four-Game Set with Twins Tonight in Minnesota

The Indians are on a roll after a 5-2 homestand which saw them win the last five games, two of which saw memorable comebacks on Sunday and Monday against the Astros and Twins.

The team also got some huge offensive efforts as Jose Ramirez just keeps on rolling with now 17 homers on the season.

Tonight they start another series with an AL Central team, as they travel to Target Field in Minnesota to take on the Twins, a team that was expected to be the top contender to the Indians for the AL Central crown.

Instead, the Twins are seven games under .500 at 22-29, 5.5 back of the Tribe in the division. The Indians tonight will get their first look at number three prospect in the organization, Shane Beiber, who threw a shortened no-hitter last week for the Columbus Clippers.

Here's a preview of game one of the four-game set at Target Field tonight.

Time: 8:10 p.m.

Starting Pitchers: RHP Shane Bieber (big league debut) vs. RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-2, 3.34)

TV: SportsTime Ohio

Online: MLB.TV

Radio: WTAM 1100am, Indians Radio Network

1. Be a BeliBeiber

Tonight all eyes within the Indians organization will be on starter Shane Beiber, who will get a spot start for his Major League Debut with the Tribe.

He's made tremendous strides since his time all the way in Single-A Lake County last season, and this season already has a no-hitter with Columbus.

The move also gives Trevor Bauer, who threw 127 pitches against Houston Sunday, an extra day of rest, so the move makes total sense at this time.

Beiber has been excellent between Akron and Columbus this season, going 5-1 with a 1.10 ERA in 10 starts between AA and AAA.

If nothing else, he will get his feet wet against Major League competition tonight against the Twins.

2. JRamming

Jose Ramirez might be the hottest player in baseball, as he's has an incredible rally from a tough first two weeks of the season to already have 17 homers at the end of May with still one day left in the month.

Ramirez's 17 homers are the most for an Indians player since 1996 when Albert Belle did it, and all he did that year was hit 48 homers and drive in 148 runs.

Since April 20th when Ramirez was hitting .188, he's raise his batting average .112 points since then in just 34 games, a tremendous feat.

Ramirez enters Thursday's game with 17 homers, 40 runs batted in and 17 doubles. He's been a huge force at the top of the Indians lineup this season.

3. The Line on Odorizzi

The Indians are 1-0 this season against Twins starter Jake Odorizzi, topping him on April 17 in Puerto Rico.

Lifetime he's 1-2 with s 4.63 ERA in his career against the Indians, and with the way the Tribe offense has come alive this month, this is a favorable matchup for the Wahoo's.

Odorizzi is 3-2 with a 3.34 ERA this season, in his last season he went 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in a Twins loss to the Mariners.

He's not pitched over six innings in a game this season, and has gone five innings or less in four starts thus far in 2018.