(Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins have been one of the American League's most successful home teams this season, while the Cleveland Indians own one of the worst road records in baseball. The last-place Tribe hopes to reverse those trends when the club takes on the playoff-hopeful Twins tonight in the opener of a three-game series at the Metrodome.

Minnesota is an excellent 37-20 at home this year and has won 18 of its last 22 contests at the Metrodome. That success as the host is a big reason why the Twins currently sit just a half-game off Chicago's lead atop the American League Central at the moment.

The Twins gained ground on the White Sox by winning three times in four meetings with their division rival at the Metrodome prior to this set. Minnesota earned an important series win on Thursday, when Ron Gardenhire's squad rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning en route to a 10-6 triumph over Chicago.

Joe Mauer tied the score at 4-4 with an RBI single in the seventh and Jason Kubel later broke the stalemate by belting a three-run homer off Sox reliever Octavio Dotel.

Minnesota put the game out of reach with a three-run eighth in which Nick Punto and Delmon Young had RBI hits. Justin Morneau accounted for the team's first three runs with a homer in the bottom of the fifth.

Mauer finished 3-for-4 with two RBI to help the Twins win for the fifth time in their last six games. Jesse Crain (4-2) took home the victory after tossing a scoreless top of the seventh in relief of Scott Baker, who allowed four runs and fanned eight over the first six frames.

Minnesota aims to keep its winning ways going tonight behind Nick Blackburn, who pitched very well against the Indians on Sunday. The rookie righty limited Cleveland to one run and four hits over seven innings, although he did not get a decision in the Twins' 4-2 comeback win.

That performance was significantly better than Blackburn's previous start, when he lasted just 1 2/3 innings and was shelled for six runs (3 earned) and seven hits in a July 21 loss to the Yankees.

Blackburn is an impressive 5-2 with a 2.70 earned run average in nine starts at the Metrodome this season. In his most recent time out at home, he fired seven shutout innings to beat Detroit on July 2.

The 26-year-old has also given Cleveland fits in 2008. Blackburn has faced the Indians three times this year and owns a 2-0 record with a 1.31 ERA against them, yielding just three runs over a combined 20 2/3 innings during those games.

Jeremy Sowers opposed Blackburn in last Sunday's matchup and will do so again for the Tribe tonight. The highly-regarded young lefty put forth his best showing of his disappointing campaign that day, as Sowers worked a season-best eight innings and held the Twins to two runs on just three hits. He left with the game tied at 2-2.

Prior to that start, Sowers had amassed a poor 1-5 record and a 6.44 ERA in his 10 major league mound trips this season.

The former first-round draft choice, who is 1-4 with a 7.28 ERA in four road starts in 2008, has a 1-1 record and a solid 2.90 ERA through four previous encounters with the Twins.

Cleveland is buried at the bottom of the Central standings but did earn a split of its four-game set with third-place Detroit this week. The Indians drew even with a 9-4 victory on Thursday, with Grady Sizemore homering and knocking in four runs to lead the way.

Sal Fasano went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI to help Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona (5-3) record his first win since May 12. The hard- throwing righty, who was making his second start after a two-month stint on the disabled list, allowed four runs -- two earned -- and five hits over a solid 6 1/3 innings.

The Indians will be starting a nine-game road trip, which includes stops in Tampa Bay and Toronto, this evening. Cleveland comes in with a woeful 18-34 mark as the visitor.

Cleveland has also dropped five of its six meetings with the Twins at the Metrodome this season, with Minnesota sweeping a three-game home set from the Indians in July.

The Twins are 8-4 in this year's season series with the Tribe.