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CLE@TEX: McAllister fans six over six solid frames

The clock is ticking against Liam Hendriks if he hopes to avoid a dubious distinction.

The 23-year-old right-hander will make the 18th start of his Major League career on Wednesday against the Indians. He has not recorded a win in any of his previous 17 outings.

If he doesn't win in Cleveland, Hendriks will be the sole owner of the third-longest stretch without a win to begin a career. Hendriks (0-7, 6.14) figures to make three more starts this season, including Wednesday's game. If he fails to find a victory in all three, he will tie Bill Caudill and Mike Mohler, who didn't get a win in their first 20 career starts.

Hendriks struggled in the first inning of his last start against the Royals on Sept. 13, allowing two quick runs. But he settled down and limited Kansas City to one more run on four hits between the second and fifth innings.

Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said Hendriks simply wasn't aggressive enough at the game's beginning. He is 0-0 with a 6.55 ERA in two starts against the Indians this season.

"I told [Hendriks] he got half a win," Gardenhire said. "I'm just giving him one. I was a little disappointed in the first inning. He wasn't attacking."

Looking to keep Hendriks winless will be Cleveland right-hander Zach McAllister, though victories have been rare for McAllister of late, as well. He's lost three of his last six starts, with the other three resulting in no-decisions.

McAllister posted a 5.93 ERA in that six-start span, though he took a tough-luck no-decision in his last outing, as he held the Rangers to one earned run on eight hits over six innings. The Indians did take a 5-4 victory in the Sept. 13 game, however.

"He's had a couple of rough outings," manager Manny Acta said. "But I'm very happy with the way he has thrown the ball."

Twins: Morneau nominated for Clemente Award
• Justin Morneau has been named the Twins' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award for his dedication to giving back to the community for the second time in his career. Voting at MLB.com/ClementeAward -- which runs through Oct. 14 -- will decide this year's winner.

Morneau dedicates $100 to renovate youth ball fields for each run he drives in. He also contributes to the Arthritis Foundation, Como Zoo and Conservatory, Salvation Army and the Twins Community Fund. His "Morneau's Mounties" program has also donated more than 10,000 Twins game tickets to U.S. military families since 2009.

"It's pretty cool," Morneau said of the nomination. "There are a lot of people who do a lot of good things in the game, and in this clubhouse. There are other guys who are deserving to be nominated, as well. It's always an honor to have your name mentioned in the same sentence as Roberto Clemente, with all of the things that he did."

• Joe Mauer picked up right where he left off in his hunt for a fourth batting title after missing five straight games last week due to back spasms. He is 5-for-7 with two RBIs in two games since returning, bringing his batting average to .325. He trails Miguel Cabrera (.333) and Mike Trout (.328 through two at-Bats Tuesday).

Indians: Hafner could be back during homestand
• The Indians are optimistic that designated hitter Travis Hafner could rejoin the team by Thursday. Hafner has been out since Aug. 5 due to a back injury.

Hafner hit .239 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs in 60 games for Cleveland this season. He also missed all of June because of a right knee injury.

He worked on his hitting program indoors before Tuesday's game, hoping to return sooner than later.

"I can't give you an exact day," manager Manny Acta said. "But I'm hopeful to get him back this homestand."

• Left-handed reliever Rafael Perez has been shut down for the season, Acta announced on Tuesday. Perez has been trying to return to action after being out since April due to a strained left lat muscle, but has suffered numerous setbacks.

"Just being able to have that steady veteran guy out of the 'pen, we did kind of scuffle a little bit without him," Acta said. "We missed him."

Worth noting
• The Twins have won four straight against Cleveland and 11 of the teams' last 13 meetings.

• Minnesota entered Monday's game leading the American League with 267 two-out runs this season. Meanwhile, Cleveland came in having allowed 308 two-out runs -- also the most in the AL.

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