Major League Baseball

Twins-Nationals Preview

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:56 p.m. ET

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The Minnesota Twins are a loss away from matching their worst road start since the franchise called the nation's capital home.

Washington's current resident is thriving at its home park.

The Nationals look to win a seventh straight home game and send the Twins to their first 1-9 road start in nearly 60 years Saturday.

Off to its best start since the 2012 team began 14-4, Washington (12-4) opened this series with Friday's 8-4 victory, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after three innings. Jayson Werth homered and robbed Byron Buxton of one in left field while Daniel Murphy had two more hits, raising his NL-leading average to .411.

Murphy is a key contributor to Washington's fast start at home, hitting safely in all seven games while batting .545.

Anthony Rendon also had two hits Friday and is batting .321 at home compared to .200 on the road.

The Twins (5-12) earned their first road victory of the season Thursday against Milwaukee, but dropped to 1-8 away from Minnesota for the first time since 2006 with Friday's defeat. The franchise hasn't had a worse road start since the 1957 Washington Senators opened 1-13.

The Twins have the wrong man taking the mound as the road has been unkind to Phil Hughes (1-2, 4.42 ERA).

Since the start of last season, Hughes is 2-7 with a 5.13 ERA in 12 road starts. His average of 1.85 homers allowed per nine innings on the road is the second worst among active players with at least 70 innings pitched since the start of 2015.

That doesn't bode well for facing a Nationals team that is second in the majors with 16 homers in 10 games since April 13.

Hughes, though, has won seven straight starts against NL teams behind a 2.89 ERA. The veteran right-hander was solid in his only start against Washington, yielding a run over six innings, but that was back in 2012.

"It's a little more challenging for hitters to face a guy for the first time," Twins manage Paul Molitor told MLB's official website. "They always say it's a little easier for pitchers in new matchups than hitters, so it takes a little while to get adjusted."

Hughes has recorded three quality starts in as many outings this season, allowing three earned runs in each while going six innings twice and 6 1/3 in the other. He issued his first two walks of 2016 while earning a complete game in Monday's 7-4 victory over the Brewers that was shortened to six innings because of rain.

The Nationals counter with Tanner Roark (1-2, 3.71), who has regularly been working with men on base, yielding 20 hits and eight walks over 17 innings in three starts. He's also struck out nine, giving him one of the majors' worst strikeout-to-walk ratios.

Roark ran into problems immediately in Miami on Monday, permitting three first-inning runs. He ended up giving up five runs in six innings of a 6-1 loss.

The righty has never faced the Twins but has pitched well against the AL, posting a 2.82 ERA while going 2-3 in eight interleague starts.

Minnesota's top three hitters - Eduardo Nunez, Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer - were a combined 2 for 14 on Friday, but cleanup hitter Miguel Sano connected for his third homer in five games. Sano is batting .455 with five walks during a six-game hitting streak.

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