Guardians, Twins open AL Central showdown series

The Cleveland Guardians hold a 1 1/2-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the tightly bunched American League Central heading into a three-game series between the rivals that starts Friday night in Minneapolis.

The series begins a stretch that will see the Guardians (70-65) and Twins (69-67) play eight times over the next 11 days and figures to have a major impact in determining who wins the Central.

Cleveland also has