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(Sports Network) - With the opportunity to achieve a series win over the defending world champions, the Minnesota Twins will send out their newfound ace in tonight's finale of a four-game set with the visiting Boston Red Sox.

Livan Hernandez has helped the Twins survive the offseason departure of two- time American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana with his early-season performance. The well-traveled veteran has won five of his first six decisions and amassed a solid 3.83 earned run average, while tossing six innings or more in all but one of his eight starts in 2008.

Hernandez, who signed with Minnesota in February, is fresh off a complete-game victory over division-rival Chicago on Wednesday. The 33-year-old scattered nine hits and walked just one in the Twins' 13-1 rout of the White Sox, which improved Minnesota to 7-1 in the games Hernandez has started this year.

The Cuban defector also was sharp in his previous outing, when he held Detroit to a run over seven innings in an 11-1 Twins' triumph on May 2.

Hernandez does not have a storied history when facing the Red Sox, however. He has lost both his lifetime starts against Boston and surrendered 12 runs (11 earned) along with 16 hits over just eight innings in those two games.

Pitching at the Metrodome should work in Hernandez's favor, though, as he's 3-0 with a 3.33 ERA in four home starts so far this season.

The AL Central-leading Twins have won two of the first three games against Boston, the current AL East front-runners, after holding on for a 9-8 decision on Sunday.

Craig Monroe clubbed a pair of homers and drove in four runs to lead Minnesota, which built an early 7-1 lead and survived a late Red Sox rally to win for the eighth time in 11 games. Justin Morneau had three hits and scored twice on the evening, while Adam Everett belted a two-run homer and Mike Lamb stroked a two-run single for the Twins.

Nick Blackburn (3-2) earned the victory after allowing nine hits and four runs through six innings. Twins closer Joe Nathan held on for his 12th save in as many opportunities despite allowing three hits and two runs in the ninth.

Coco Crisp smacked a two-run homer and had three RBI for Boston, while Alex Cora collected three hits in defeat.

Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield (3-2) had his shortest start since September 28, 2003. The knuckleball specialist was rocked for seven runs (6 earned) and seven hits over just 2 2/3 innings of work.

Boston hopes for a better showing tonight out of Clay Buchholz, who will make his first career start against Minnesota.

The rookie has been inconsistent so far during his first full major-league campaign. Buchholz went 2-1 with an impressive 1.40 ERA during a three-start stretch from April 21-May 2, but regressed with a shaky four-inning stint at Detroit on Wednesday. In that game, the young righty was tagged for five runs and a season-high 10 hits while lasting just four frames.

Buchholz has had some struggles pitching on the road, where the 23-year-old Texan has gone 0-2 with a 7.40 ERA in four starts.

The Red Sox hope to have Manny Ramirez back in the lineup tonight after the All-Star slugger was held out of last night's contest due to a sore right hamstring. Ramirez currently stands just three home runs shy of reaching 500 for his career.

Shortstop Julio Lugo also missed his second straight game for Boston because of a mild concussion and is questionable to play tonight.

Boston won two of three games from the Twins at the Metrodome last May, but the Red Sox have gone just 4-8 as the visitor in this series since the beginning of the 2005 season.