(Sports Network) - Runs have been quite hard to come by for the Minnesota Twins during the club's current losing streak. A matchup with Cleveland Indians ace Cliff Lee likely won't help matters.

The struggling Twins take their swings against Lee, who is seeking to become the first 14-game winner in the majors this season, when these American League Central foes play the first of three straight meetings tonight at Progressive Field.

Minnesota stood just a half-game out of first place in the AL Central on Sunday, but four consecutive defeats have pushed Ron Gardenhire's squad 2 1/2 back of front-running Chicago entering tonight's play. The Twins were shut out at home by Texas on Sunday, then mustered just seven total runs during a trio of losses to the New York Yankees to start off this current road trip.

Winning away from the Metrodome has been a problem at times for Minnesota, which is just 21-27 as the visitor this season. In addition, the Twins are just 3-9 at Progressive Field since the start of the 2007 campaign and lost two of three clashes to the Tribe in Cleveland back in June.

Lee is currently tied with Mike Mussina for the AL lead in wins after the Yankees veteran mowed down the Twins on Wednesday. Mussina fired eight shutout innings to lead New York to a 5-1 victory that completed the series sweep.

Mike Lamb went 3-for-4 and knocked in Minnesota's lone run with a ninth-inning single. The hit plated Alexi Casilla, who finished 2-for-4 in a losing cause.

Glen Perkins (7-3) had a string of five straight winning decisions snapped when the Twins starter was touched for five runs and eight hits in six innings of work.

Lee earned victory No. 13 with a complete-game performance at Seattle on Sunday. The All-Star southpaw scattered 11 hits and walked none in Cleveland's 6-2 triumph and lowered his season earned run average to 2.29, the second-best mark among AL hurlers.

The University of Arkansas product has lost only twice in 19 starts this year, but one of those came at the hands of the Twins on July 6. Lee was reached for four runs in seven innings as Minnesota came through with a 4-3 decision at the Metrodome.

Lee is still 6-3 with a 3.89 ERA over 14 lifetime starts against the Twins and yielded just two hits over eight shutout frames in a win at the Metrodome on April 18.

Cleveland returns home after enduring back-to-back losses to the AL West- leading Angels on Tuesday and Wednesday. Anaheim came through in a slugfest during the finale, as the Halos pounded Indians pitching for 19 hits en route to a 14-11 win.

Ryan Garko ended 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBI in the setback, only the Indians' third in their last 10 games. Johnny Peralta also collected three hits and scored three times for Cleveland, while Grady Sizemore belted his 25th home run of the season.

Aaron Laffey (5-7) failed to take advantage of the Tribe's offensive outburst, as the left-hander was torched for eight runs and 12 hits before being removed after four innings.

Cleveland steps to the plate tonight against Livan Hernandez, Minnesota's leader with 10 victories so far this season. The veteran righty reached double digits by holding Texas' potent offense to two runs and five hits through seven innings at the Metrodome on Saturday.

Hernandez is 4-2 over his last six decisions but has been roughed up on the road in 2008. Over nine starts in foreign parks, the Cuban defector has amassed an ugly 7.48 ERA and a .377 batting average against.

The 33-year-old is 1-1 with a 10.00 ERA in two career regular-season starts against Cleveland, both of which came this season, and was rocked for seven runs and 12 hits in just three frames in a loss at Progressive Field on June 12.

Minnesota is 6-3 against the Indians this year and swept a three-game series against the Tribe at the Metrodome from July 4-6.