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(Sports Network) - One of baseball's hottest teams invades the Metrodome this evening for the opener of four-game set, as the Texas Rangers go in search of an eighth consecutive series win when they take on the Minnesota Twins.
Texas has amassed an impressive 13-4 record over its last 17 games and has not lost a series since being swept in three games by Detroit from April 22-24. The Rangers rebounded to win two of three clashes with the Twins in Arlington to start off their outstanding stretch.
The Rangers had not taken seven straight series since July 15-August 4, 1999. The franchise record of eight series wins in a row was set during the 1977 campaign.
To keep that streak intact, however, Texas will have to acquit itself better in the Metrodome that it did last season. The Rangers lost five of six games to the Twins in Minnesota a year ago, as well as seven of nine overall matchups between the teams in 2007.
The Rangers begin a stretch of 10 straight road contests tonight and enter this lengthy trek off a rare recent loss, a 5-4 setback to in-state rival Houston on Sunday.
Milton Bradley homered for a second straight game for Texas, clubbing a two- run shot in the seventh inning. David Murphy also went deep in the loss, while Frank Catalanotto ended 2-for-4 with an RBI double.
Bradley is riding a six-game hitting streak in which the volatile outfielder has batted .429 (9-for-21) with four homers and nine RBI.
Rangers starter Kason Gabbard (1-1) struggled on the mound, however. The young lefty surrendered all five Houston runs on nine hits while lasting just five innings.
Texas hopes for a better effort tonight out of Scott Feldman, a converted reliever who's provided a nice lift since being pressed into a starting role due to injuries.
In four season starts, Feldman has recorded a strong 2.49 earned run average and worked at least six innings on each of those occasions. The right-hander pitched a career-high seven frames Wednesday against Seattle, yielding three runs -- one earned -- and just six hits in a no-decision.
Prior to that outing, Feldman delivered six shutout innings to defeat Oakland on May 9 for his lone victory of the season.
The 25-year-old has faced Minnesota six times -- all in relief -- and has no record along with a 5.79 ERA over that span. Feldman threw two innings in a 12-6 loss to the Twins on April 26 and was rocked for four runs (3 earned) on four hits.
Slumping Boof Bonser will take the mound for the Twins in the opener. The righty has permitted five runs or more in each of his last three starts and hasn't registered a win since tossing seven innings of one-run ball to beat Chicago on April 29.
In his most recent mound trip, Bonser was touched for five runs in six innings to suffer the loss in Minnesota's 6-5 home setback to Toronto this past Wednesday.
Bonser did not pitch against the Rangers in last month's series between the clubs, but he's just 1-2 with a 7.24 ERA over three lifetime starts versus Texas.
Minnesota has been also struggling as a whole lately, as evidenced by the team's five losses in its last six contests. The Twins dropped two of three tilts to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field over the weekend, including a 6-2 defeat in Sunday's finale.
The Twins held a 2-1 lead over the Rockies entering the bottom of the sixth inning, but Colorado's Todd Helton tied the contest with a solo home run and Jeff Baker put the hosts ahead with an RBI single later in the frame. The Rockies then added three runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull away.
Minnesota starter Kevin Slowey (0-4) was handed the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. The Twins' only runs came via a sixth- inning homer off the bat of Justin Morneau.
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