Fragen und Antworten » Twins: RHP Lance Lynn (5-7, 5.49 ERA

For those fans who dislike Thursday night football Zach Brown Jersey , rejoice that this week is the final game of the season on such short rest.Also rejoice that it’s one of the best matchups of the year, with hefty implications in the standings, as Kansas City hosts the Los Angeles Chargers.Even with a loss, the Chiefs keep the top spot in the AFC West with a better division record as the teams will have split their series. A win for Kansas City (11-2) could secure the top seed in the conference, though, depending on what happens to the Patriots and Texans.The Chargers (10-3), who lost to KC 38-28 in the season opener, will own a postseason berth with a victory. They also can get in with a loss and help elsewhere, but those scenarios give Pro Picks a migraine.Los Angeles, ranked fourth in the AP Pro32, is a 3½-point underdog at top-ranked Kansas City. We think, right now, the Chargers are the better-balanced team, though winning on the road on Thursday nights is very difficult, especially if the top two running backs are out. That could be the case with Melvin Gordon (knee) and Austin Ekeler (neck, concussion protocol) uncertain.Bye-bye Thursday nights.CHIEFS, 30-29KNOCKOUT POOL: Too bad we had to make last week’s selection before all the Broncos‘ injuries hit. If you’re still alive — Pro Picks most certainly is not — try BALTIMORE.No. 19 Green Bay (plus 5 1-2) at No. 6 ChicagoNormally Devin Bush Jersey , letdown for Bears could be expected. Not against Packers, though.BEST BET: BEARS, 23-16No. 9 Dallas (plus 3) at No. 11 IndianapolisWe recognize this could be sucker bet. OK, we’re suckers.UPSET SPECIAL: COWBOYS, 20-17No. 5 New England (minus 1 1-2) at No. 10 PittsburghSteelers about to blow division and possibly wild card.PATRIOTS, 39-32No. 22 Tampa Bay (plus 8) at No. 12 BaltimoreRavens about to surge to AFC North title.RAVENS, 26-20No. 2 New Orleans (minus 6 1-2) at No. 17 Carolina, Monday nightSaints need to stay ahead of Rams for NFC home-field edge.SAINTS, 33-20No. 16 Philadelphia (plus 9 1-2) at No. 3 Los Angeles RamsEagles play hard while undermanned, just don’t win enough.RAMS, 37-24No. 8 Seattle (minus 5 1-2) at No. 31 San FranciscoSeahawks have that NFC wild-card berth in sight.SEAHAWKS, 17-13No. 7 Houston (minus 6) at No. 26 New York Jets, SaturdayTexans get back on track in New Jersey.TEXANS, 28-13No. 14 Tennessee (plus 2 1-2) at No. 21 GiantsTitans keep it going in New Jersey? Well, no.GIANTS, 30-19No. 20 Cleveland (plus 3) at No. 18 Denver, SaturdayBrowns on right track Diontae Johnson Jersey , Broncos too banged-up.BROWNS, 27-23No. 15 Miami (plus 7) at No. 13 MinnesotaNo “Drake Escape” or “Miami Miracle” this week.VIKINGS, 22-20No. 32 Arizona (plus 8 1-2) at No. 25 AtlantaCardinals even more confounding than Falcons.FALCONS, 30-20No. 23 Detroit (plus 2 1-2) at No. 27 BuffaloTwo more confounding also-rans.BILLS, 23-17No. 30 Oakland (plus 3) at No. 28 CincinnatiBengals have lost their way. They’ll partially find it for one week.BENGALS, 21-20No. 24 Washington (plus 7) at No. 29 JacksonvilleWill Redskins show up this week? Will Jaguars?JAGUARS, 20-10 Aaron Slegers and Jake Cave have been called up from Triple-A by the Minnesota Twins three times apiece this season, and the All-Star break is still more than one week away.

Their contributions to this struggling team on Thursday night were sure worthy of a longer stay.

Slegers picked up his first major league win with six smooth innings, Cave reached base all four times he batted, and the Twins stopped their six-game losing streak by hanging on for a 5-2 victory over the lowly Baltimore Orioles.

”I know that I think, and I know Slegers thinks the same thing, that we can play big league baseball,” Cave said. ”We’re ready to go anytime the team needs us, and that’s just kind of how you’ve got to think of it.”

Logan Morrison homered and Cave drove in an eighth-inning insurance run with one of his two doubles for the Twins, who turned to Fernando Rodney in the ninth for his 18th save following two consecutive blown chances. Slegers (1-0) gave up only one run, on the first of two homers by Jonathan Schoop.

”It’s fun to have that in the stat column, to be a major league winner Justin Layne Jersey ,” Slegers said. ”I can say that for the rest of my life.”

With eight right-handers in the Orioles lineup, except for Chris Davis, Slegers put his sinker to good use against the second-lowest scoring team in MLB. The Orioles managed just three hits against the 6-foot-10 Slegers, who was the latest to fill the recently revolving fifth spot in the rotation. Manager Paul Molitor stopped short of a commitment, but he indicated Slegers earned another turn after needing only 72 pitches to complete those six innings in his first major league start this season.

”Sometimes you make tough decisions to protect those young guys when they’ve had good outings and make sure they feel good when they come out of the game,” Molitor said.

The Orioles squandered another quality start by Andrew Cashner (2-9) and lost for the 10th time in 11 games. They have the worst record in the major leagues at 24-62, just the team the Twins needed to face to start a season-long 11-game homestand after a pivotal 1-8 road trip.

Trailing AL Central-leading Cleveland by 11 1/2 games, Minnesota has become a probable seller before the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31 with several accomplished players on expiring contracts. Baltimore has essentially been in that boat since April, with slugging shortstop Manny Machado widely considered the best asset on the market this summer.

CASHED OUT

Cashner, one of the offseason acquisitions by the Orioles that suggested their commitment to contending in the daunting AL East, has had more than three runs scored for him in only one of his 17 starts this year. He gave up three runs, two earned, and six hits.

”It’s not like we didn’t want to score for him,” Schoop said. ”I hope things start changing.”

Orioles starters have received the least amount of run support in the major leagues this season.

”I probably had the worst stuff I’ve had this season, but I thought I just grinded throughout the game,” Cashner said. ”When you’re not scoring runs, I feel like I keep my mind sharp on what I want to do out there and thinking pitch to pitch.”

WHOOPS

Cashner was charged with an error in the third Benny Snell Jr. Jersey , when he was covering first base on a chopper hit by Bobby Wilson to Davis and fumbled the relay toss to let Cave score from second. Wilson eventually scored on a single by Eddie Rosario.

WHIFFS

Rodney struck out Davis to start a perfect ninth, pushing the sputtering slugger into a first-place tie on the Orioles list for strikeouts with 1,305. He is tied with Cal Ripken Jr., who played 3,001 games for Baltimore. Davis has appeared in 972 contests.

MAN, CAVE

Cave, who was recalled from Rochester last week, made a fully extended catch at the wall in right-center to take a potential extra-base hit away from Davis in the fourth inning. Cave doubled twice, driving in one run, to go with a single and an intentional walk.

”He can really flash it out there,” Slegers said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: RHP Darren O’Day (strained left hamstring) has been scheduled for his season-ending surgery on July 12. He’ll need six months to recover.

DOZIER’S DAY

Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, who has started 80 of 84 games and appeared in all but one this season, went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. He’s batting .218.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Dylan Bundy (6-7, 3.75 ERA) will come off the DL to start Friday night. Bundy has been sidelined by a sprained left ankle.

Twins: RHP Lance Lynn (5-7, 5.49 ERA) will take the mound in the second game of the series, coming off his worst turn of the season. He gave up seven runs in Chicago to the Cubs in just 1 2/3 innings.

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