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The Minnesota Twins, who enter play Friday 1.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, likely made their big trade move on Thursday in acquiring reliever Matt Capps from the Washington Nationals, and Capps will step right into the closing role for the Twins, bumping former closer Jon Rauch back to a set-up role. Capps could be used as soon as tonight as Minnesota hosts Seattle in the first of a three-game series. The Twins are -210 favorites on Bodog’s MLB odds.

Capps, an All-Star this season, is 3-3 with a 2.74 ERA and 26 saves in 30 chances – he saved Washington’s win over Atlanta on Thursday. Rauch had 21 saves in 25 chances (including in Wednesday’s game) but has a 5.40 ERA in nine appearances this month.

Minnesota has won five games in a row and its bats were on fire in a sweep of Kansas City, outscoring the Royals 36-7.

Outfielder Delmon Young is the hottest Twin, as he is hitting .439 in July with six homers and 28 RBIs. Since May 21, his 63 RBIs are the most in baseball. He’s hitting .436 with 61 RBIs this season with runners in scoring position. Catcher Joe Mauer is batting .404 with nine doubles, two homers and 17 RBIs in his last 12 games.

The Mariners were just swept in a four-game series at the Chicago White Sox. Seattle is just 6-20 this month and ranks last in baseball in batting average, homers and RBIs. No player who has been on the roster all season has yet hit 10 homers and the only regular hitting better than .260 is Ichiro (.311). Three starters sat out Thursday’s game – DH Russell Branyan (back spasms), 3B Jose Lopez (tight left hamstring) and OF Milton Bradley (knee stiffness)  — but all three are likely to be back tonight.

The pitching matchup tonight is Seattle’s Doug Fister (3-6, 3.56 ERA) against Minnesota’s Scott Baker (8-9, 5.00). Fister hasn’t won in his past nine starts. He lost to the Twins on May 31 in Seattle, allowing five runs in 7 2/3 innings. Baker is 1-3 with a 4.60 ERA in seven starts against the Mariners in his career.

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