(Best E Casino) - Josh Hamilton and Justin Morneau slugged it out in a memorable Home Run Derby this past Monday. The two American League All-Stars will be adversaries once again tonight, when Hamilton's Texas Rangers visit the Metrodome for the opener of a three-game series with Morneau and the surging Minnesota Twins.

Morneau took home top honors at the annual power-hitting competition that precedes the All-Star Game, although it was Hamilton that stole the show on Monday night. The Rangers outfielder set a Home Run Derby record by belting 28 long balls in the opening round, a few of which were measured at more than 500 feet.

Hamilton led all participants with a total of 35 homers over the three rounds, but Morneau wound up as the champion after besting the Texas star by a 5-3 margin in the finals.

Morneau also made a big contribution to the AL's 4-3 triumph over the National League in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic. The Minnesota first baseman went 2- for-4 with two runs scored, including the game-winning tally in the bottom of the 15th inning. He led off that half of the frame with a single and later crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly off the bat of the Rangers' Michael Young, with Morneau narrowly beating Milwaukee right fielder Corey Hart's throw home.

Minnesota begins its post All-Star break slate just 1 1/2 games back of the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. The Twins have vaulted back into contention by winning 19 of their last 25 contests, including 13 of 15 tilts at the Metrodome during that outstanding run.

For the season the Twins have amassed an excellent 32-18 mark on their home grounds.

Glen Perkins gets the starting nod for Minnesota tonight and will be attempting to extend a string of four straight winning decisions. The rookie southpaw improved to 6-2 on the season in last Friday's 3-2 triumph at Detroit, as he limited the Tigers to two runs and six hits over the first 6 2/3 innings.

Perkins has four victories over his last five starts and hasn't lost in eight outings since a May 30 setback to the New York Yankees. The 25-year-old has also held the opposition to three runs or less in each of his last seven mound trips.

The former first-round draft choice's lone career start and decision against the Rangers was a winning one. That came at the Metrodome on May 20, with Perkins surrendering three runs -- two earned -- through 6 1/3 innings to register his first major league victory. He did make three relief appearances versus Texas during the 2007 campaign.

The Rangers have also been playing well over the last few weeks, as the club has compiled a 9-5 record over its last 14 contests to move four games over .500 (50-46) on the season. Texas trails AL West front-runner Anaheim by 7 1/2 games at the moment.

Texas has been led by Hamilton, the major-league leader with 95 RBI, and fellow All-Star Ian Kinsler, who tops the AL with a .337 batting average and is currently riding a 25-game hit streak.

Kevin Millwood will start this evening's opener for Texas and seeks his first career win over the Twins. The veteran righty is 0-5 with a 5.86 ERA in nine lifetime starts against Minnesota, which includes a six-inning stint on April 25 in which Millwood allowed five runs in six innings of work.

The 33-year-old was also hit hard in last Saturday's matchup with the White Sox, giving up five runs and 10 hits while walking four in 5 1/3 frames to suffer a loss. He had lasted just five innings in each of his three previous starts.

Texas holds a 4-3 edge in this year's season series with the Twins and split a four-game set at the Metrodome from May 19-22. However, Minnesota took five of six encounters with the Rangers at home last year.