After a long Sunday at Wrigley Field in Chicago, the Dodgers will try to put their first series loss of 2024 behind them, heading to Minneapolis to play the Twins for three games at Target Field. It’s the first interleague series of the season for the Dodgers.
After a run of facing left-handed starting pitchers in their last nine games, the Dodgers will face three-Twins right-handers in the games in Minnesota. Starting in the middle game for the Twins is Louie Varland, younger brother of Dodgers reliever Gus Varland.
Whether Varland is active for the series against the Twins remains to be seen, as the Dodgers will need to send down a pitcher to make room for Connor Brogdon, the right-hander Los Angeles acquired from the Phillies on Saturday. Varland was with the Dodgers for two games in Chicago and he pitched on Sunday, allowing two runs (one earned) while recording one out in the fourth inning before the rains came to delay the series finale against the Cubs.
The Twins are coming off a weather-interrupted weekend of their own, as they were rained out on Sunday at home against the Guardians.
James Paxton starts the opener for the Dodgers on Monday, a week after working around five walks to pitch five scoreless innings in his debut with the team last Monday against the Giants. Tyler Glasnow and Bobby Miller start the final two games of the series, with Miller on four days rest following his getting knocked out in the second inning on Friday in Chicago.
The Dodgers took two of three games against the Twins last May at Dodger Stadium, and have won 12 of their last 13 games against Minnesota dating back to 2014. That includes five straight wins at Target Field. The last time the Dodgers lost in Minneapolis was in 2011.
In interleague play, the Dodgers have won 15 of 22 games against the Twins, and are 6-5 in Minnesota.