Twins pitchers at home away from home

The Minnesota has played only five road games this season, but thus far the Twins pitching staff hasn't minded toiling away from Target Field.

It's certainly a small sample size -- although the Twins' schedule, littered with postponements, is a small sample size in itself; Minnesota has played a league-low 13 games -- the Twins are 3-2 on the road thanks in part to a pitching staff limiting opponents from getting on base.

Minnesota pitchers are holding opposing batters to a .155 average on the road thus far, easily the best mark in the majors. Only two other teams are below .200 -- Boston (.189) and Houston (.199).

While limiting opponents to such a low batting average obviously won't be sustainable, Minnesota could continue its success in this weekend's three-game series at Tampa Bay. The Rays, which sport a 5-13 record including just 3-7 at home, are batting just .232 at Tropicana Field and have just one batter on the entire roster hitting over .270 (Mallex Smith, .373).



Other notes:

-- Brian Dozier is third in the major leagues in OPS among leadoff hitters (minimum 50 plate appearances) at .903.

-- Dozier also has a hit in each of Minnesota's 13 games, which the longest active hitting streak in the majors. The last Twins player to have a longer hitting streak from the start of the season was Josh Willingham, who had 1+ hit in each of team's first 15 games in 2012.

-- Joe Mauer leads the majors in on-base percentage (.500), is third in batting average (.364) and fifth in walks per plate appearance (4.67).

-- Jake Odorizzi will be making his first career start versus his former club. Odorizzi (1-0), who was traded by the Rays to Minnesota in February, is the first pitcher to be undefeated in his first three career starts with the Twins since Ervin Santana went 2-0 in his first four starts with the club, July 5-23, 2015.

-- Tampa Bay is tied for last in the American League in extra-base hits (38).

Statistics courtesy STATS and baseball-reference