Three-game series at Target Field
Twins-Kansas City series preview
All games on BSN and 830-AM
Friday, 7:10 p.m.: RHP Brady Singer (1-2, 2.95) vs. RHP Michael Pineda (1-1, 2.42)
Saturday, 1:10 p.m.: LHP Danny Duffy (3-1, 0.39) vs. RHP Matt Shoemaker (1-2, 5.49)
Sunday, 1:10 p.m.: RHP Brad Keller (2-2, 9.00) vs. RHP Jose Berrios (2-2, 3.04)
Royals update
First-place Kansas City (15-8) has a seven-game lead over the Twins in the American League Central. … The Royals will play 16 consecutive games against AL Central teams. … 1B Carlos Santana is 14-for-41 over the past 11 games with 11 RBI. He has a team-high 19 RBI and 16 walks after signing a two-year, $17.5 million deal in the offseason. … The Royals also added OF Andrew Benintendi in a three-team trade from Boston. He's hitting .234. . … 2B Whit Merrifield leads Kansas City with a .286 average. … SS Adalberto Mondesi (elbow) is out. … Singer got his first victory with seven innings of three-hit work vs. Detroit on Saturday. … He started three times against the Twins as a rookie and was 1-2 with a 5.52 ERA. …The Royals lead the AL in stolen bases with 22. … Josh Staumont (0.68 ERA) has three of the team's nine saves.
Twins update
The Twins are 8-15 after losing 13 of 16. … They'll make some moves Friday with RF Max Kepler and LF Kyle Garlick coming off the COVID injury list; 1B Miguel Sano (hamstring) could return this weekend. … CF Byron Buxton is tied for the MLB lead with eight homers. He doesn't have enough at-bats to qualify or would be leading the AL in batting average (.438) and OPS (1.408). … Sano is fifth in the AL in slugging pct. at .676. … The Twins are a first-inning team. They have a .364 average (35-for-96) in first innings, by far the best in MLB, and their pitchers have given up just three first-inning runs, fewest in the majors. … Sano (.111), C Mitch Garver (.172), 2B Jorge Polanco (.193), OF Jake Cave (.182) and C Ryan Jeffers (.147) are all hitting lower than .200.
Chris Miller
about the writer
The eight Twins headed for arbitration are Royce Lewis, Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, Bailey Ober, Ryan Jeffers, Willi Castro, Griffin Jax and Trevor Larnach.