Minnesota at Houston

The Houston Astros have a talented, but young team, and their lead in the AL West is becoming tentative. The Twins, meanwhile, have managed to stay in contention for a playoff spot now into the September stretch drive, much to the surprise of most. The Twins got an important and much needed outing from Ervin Santana his last time out, and it happened to come against Houston, where he went seven scoreless innings, fanning 10. Santana should take the mound with renewed confidence, and he has been perfect against the Astros in his career, owning a 2.61 ERA against them. The Twins continue to carry a big bark as a dog where they own a 9-3 mark in their last 12. Take Minnesota.