(Sports Network) - Randy Johnson is not accustomed to losing on a regular basis and will try to reach the win column once again tonight, when his Arizona Diamondbacks open a nine-game road trip with the first of three straight meetings with the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome.

Johnson has lost three straight starts and is winless over his past five appearances on the hill. The veteran, whose earned run average over the last three starts is 7.71, was rocked in his previous outing on Saturday versus Kansas City at Chase Field. He allowed eight runs -- seven earned -- on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings of a 12-3 loss to the Royals.

The left-hander hasn't dropped four consecutive starts since losing five in a row from June 20-July 10 of the 1999 season.

Johnson is currently tied with Tommy John for 24th on the all-time wins list with 288. The Big Unit is also a dozen victories shy of becoming the 24th member of the 300-win club.

In 23 career games (22 starts) against Minnesota, Johnson is 11-7 with a 3.07 ERA, seven complete games and three shutouts. He spent more than 10 years in the American League as a Mariner and a Yankee.

Arizona has won two straight after a three-game slide and sits 4 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in the NL West. In Thursday's 2-1 home win over the Oakland Athletics in the finale of a three- game series, Justin Upton went 2-for-3 with a double and a solo home run to lead the charge.

Chris Young had two hits and knocked in the other run for the D'Backs, who will visit the Twins, Red Sox and Marlins on this trek and own a 15-19 mark as the visitor in 2008.

Arizona starter Doug Davis struck out a season-high eight batters and allowed just one run and three hits in six innings of work on Thursday. Reliever Tony Pena earned the win with a perfect eighth inning, while Brandon Lyon earned his 15th save by throwing a scoreless ninth.

Minnesota will resume a six-game homestand on Friday and just swept the Washington Nationals in three games. The Twins finished off the sweep with Thursday's 9-3 pounding of the Nats, with Michael Cuddyer compiling two hits, two RBI and scoring twice in the series finale.

Brian Buscher went 2-for-3, drove in two runs and scored once for the Twins, who have won five of their last six games. Minnesota starter Glen Perkins tossed eight innings for the win, allowing 10 hits and three runs.

The Twins are now 22-16 at the Metrodome this season.

Taking the ball for Minnesota this evening will be Scott Baker, who is 2-2 with a 3.71 earned run average in nine starts this season. He is 0-2 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts since coming off the disabled list on June 5.

Baker allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings in his last start, a 4-2 loss at Milwaukee on Sunday. He is now winless over his past seven trips to the hill since winning his first two outings of the year. The right-hander has never faced Arizona in his career.

Minnesota is 4-2 in its last six encounters with Arizona. Both clubs are meeting for the first time since the 2005 season.

The Twins are 6-3 against the National League in 2008, while the D'Backs own a 5-4 mark in interleague play. Overall, Minnesota is 112-89 versus the Senior Circuit, with Arizona sporting a 78-88 record against the AL.