Kansas City @ Minnesota preview
Target Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 28, 2010 ) Minnesota 6, Kansas City 4
After completing a three-game sweep of the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, the Minnesota Twins now get to feast on the weak.
The Twins look to extend their winning streak to four games on Monday when they host the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game series at Target Field.
Minnesota began its nine-game homestand by winning two of three against the Detroit Tigers. It then took the first two games versus Texas and seemed well on its way to finish off the sweep on Sunday, carrying a 6-2 lead into the ninth inning.
Jon Rauch retired two of the first three batters before yielding an RBI double by Julio Borbon. Matt Capps came in and surrendered two hits - one that plated a run - and a walk before a bizarre game-ending play.
With the bases loaded, Vladimir Guerrero singled to drive in Cristian Guzman and make it 6-5. While rounding third base, Michael Young was held up by coach Dave Anderson and scampered back to the bag.
However, third base umpire Alfonso Marquez ruled that Young made contact with Anderson and called him out, ending the game and giving the Twins their 16th victory in their last 19 home games and their sixth series sweep of the year.
Michael Cuddyer and Denard Span had two RBIs apiece and Nick Blackburn tossed seven solid innings for Minnesota, which maintained its 3 1/2-game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
The Twins will play 18 of their final 25 games against teams under .500, beginning Monday with the Royals, who are 22 games below the even mark. Minnesota has won nine of 12 meetings with Kansas City thus far in 2010.
Getting the start for the Twins is Kevin Slowey, who has been on the disabled list with a strained right triceps. Prior to being sidelined, the right-hander had gone 4-1 in his last 10 starts.
Slowey left his outing against the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 21 after just three innings in which he surrendered four runs and seven hits en route to a 9-3 loss.
In two previous starts vs. Kansas City this year, Slowey went 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA. The 26-year-old owns a 5-1 record and 3.19 ERA in seven career games, including one relief appearance, vs. the Royals.
Slowey is 7-4 with a 3.71 ERA in 14 outings at home.
Kansas City, which has lost 17 of its last 22 road games, posted a 2-1 victory over Detroit on Sunday to complete a 2-4 homestand. Alex Gordon snapped a 1-1 tie in the sixth with his seventh home run of the season and Kyle Davies yielded just a run and three hits over six innings.
Sean O'Sullivan gets the call on Monday for the Royals. He is 0-4 in seven starts with Kansas City but recorded the win in his lone relief appearance for the club.
On Tuesday, O'Sullivan did not figure in the decision of a 10-9 victory over Texas after allowing six runs and nine hits in five innings.
O'Sullivan, who will be facing the Twins for the first time in his career, is 0-3 with a 6.47 ERA in four road starts for the Royals.