Minnesota Twins first baseman Joe Mauer doesn't have many issues when it comes to getting on base.
Mauer has reached base in 27 consecutive games -- a streak that he's been nursing since May 16 -- and odds of that streak ending against the New York Yankees on Thursday night are pretty low.
Mauer has reached base successfully in 49 straight night games at Target Field, a run that dates all the way back to June 9, 2015, and is now tied with Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski for third on the American League's all-time list.
He's just three games shy of Harvey Kuenn's AL record of 52 games.
AL - Most Consecutive Night Games at Home Reaching Base Safely (via Hit, Walk, or HBP)
| Player | Team | Games | Streak |
| Harvey Kuenn | Detroit/Cleveland | 52 | 8/16/57 - 5/24/60 |
| Carlos Beltran | Kansas City | 50 | 5/22/01 - 4/5/02 |
| Joe Mauer | Minnesota | 49 | 6/9/15 - ACTIVE |
| Carl Yastrzemski | Boston | 49 | 4/29/70 - 5/26/71 |
| Darin Erstad | Anaheim | 48 | 9/29/99 - 7/27/00 |
It's been a tough season for starter Kyle Gibson, who made his first start since April last week in a 15-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox, but the numbers suggest that if Gibson can settle in he can turn in solid starts for the Twins.
Gibson's ERA drops dramatically after the first inning, while his opponent batting average drops from .391 to .265, and falls even further from .500 to .250 with runners in scoring position.
Kyle Gibson, First Inning vs. Innings 2+
| 1st Inning | 2nd Inning+ | |
| ERA | 18 | 3.80 |
| Runs Allowed | 10 | 11 |
| Opp BA | .391 (9/23) | .265 (22/83) |
| Opp BA w/RISP | .500 (4/8) | .250 (4/16) |
| Opp OPS | 1.256 | .712 |
| HR | 2 | 1 |
| K/BB | 1/5 | 12/8 |
Statistics courtesy of STATS inc.
