The San Francisco Giants have good feelings going into their Friday night game against the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n
The Giants, who were off Thursday, have won five of their last six games, including the last two contests in a three-game road series against the Chicago Cubs this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve played pretty well on the road this year,\u201d San Francisco manager Bob Melvin said. \u201cIt\u2019s always nice to win right before an off day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Giants seem to have found the right combinations, and confidence is on the rise.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just the will of the guys,\u201d San Francisco second baseman Christian Koss said. \u201cWe have a great group in that clubhouse.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Giants\u2019 success has coincided with the ability to come up with clutch offense and respond when falling behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve never felt out of any game we\u2019ve been in,\u201d Koss said. \u201cThe pitching staff has been a great part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Twins are riding high, too, with a season-best five-game winning streak that includes a three-game sweep of the visiting Baltimore Orioles. Minnesota capped that series by winning 5-2 on Thursday afternoon despite producing only five hits.<\/p>\n
Manager Rocco Baldelli\u2019s team has won four of its past five series.<\/p>\n
Minnesota made rotation adjustments this week, putting right-hander Chris Paddack (0-3, 5.57 ERA) in the Friday night spot. The Twins didn\u2019t play Monday, so there were options for tweaks when right-hander Joe Ryan became ill and had his start was pushed to this weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had to talk to the other starters about adjusting their schedules,\u201d Baldelli said.<\/p>\n
Paddack didn\u2019t receive a decision in either of his past two starts, which both lasted five innings. He hasn\u2019t reached the sixth inning in any of his seven outings this year.<\/p>\n
In eight career starts vs. the Giants, Paddack is 1-1 with a 3.53 ERA.<\/p>\n
The Twins have relied on strong pitching, giving up a total of 12 runs across their five-game win streak. They also have benefited from defense, such as center fielder Byron Buxton throwing out a runner at the plate Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was another play for his reel,\u201d Baldelli said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to make a perfect throw from 250 feet away. He\u2019s the man. It\u2019s not something you put past him. You\u2019re not shocked when he does it, I\u2019ll tell you that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Minnesota\u2019s Ty France compiled six hits during the sweep of Baltimore. He has three three-hit games in his past nine contests.<\/p>\n
San Francisco will send right-hander Jordan Hicks (1-3, 6.03 ERA) to the mound on Friday. He hasn\u2019t notched a victory since his season debut March 31, though the Giants have won in each of his past two outings.<\/p>\n
Hicks\u2019 past three starts all came in home games, lasting five innings each time. Hicks has surrendered only two home runs in 37 1\/3 innings this season, and he posted a season-high seven strikeouts Saturday vs. the Colorado Rockies.<\/p>\n
In his only career outing vs. Minnesota, Hicks worked one scoreless inning in relief and secured a victory in 2018, his second major league win.<\/p>\n
Melvin said the way the series vs. the Cubs played out, the Giants are in good shape in terms of the bullpen, particularly with the off day.<\/p>\n
\u2013Field Level Media<\/p>\n
More San Francisco Giants coverage on Sactown Sports<\/p>\n
Robbie Ray and three relievers scattered four hits in the San Francisco Giants\u2019 3-1 win over the host Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Wilmer Flores went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored as the Giants took two of three games in the series.<\/p>\n
Ray (5-0) allowed a run and three hits in six innings with two walks and five strikeouts. San Francisco is 8-0 in his starts. Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers and Ryan Walker all pitched scoreless innings, with Walker getting his seventh save.<\/p>\n
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