Kansas City @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( May 23, 2016 ) Kansas City 10, Minnesota 4

The Kansas City Royals are starting to resemble the team that won the World Series last year, while the Minnesota Twins are spiraling out of control. After cruising to victory in the series opener, the Royals vie for their eighth straight win over Minnesota on Tuesday as the American League Central rivals play the second contest of their three-game set.

Salvador Perez extended his hitting streak to nine games in emphatic fashion, going 5-for-5 and falling a homer shy of the cycle in Kansas City's 10-4 triumph on Monday. Lorenzo Cain recorded his third consecutive multi-hit performance and has collected five RBIs in his last six contests, but he is 0-for-8 with six strikeouts in his career versus Tuesday starter Ervin Santana. While the red-hot Royals have won seven of their last 10 contests, the tumbling Twins have lost seven of their last eight overall and 10 of 11 at home. Veteran Joe Mauer homered among his three hits in the series opener and has enjoyed considerable success versus Tuesday starter Edinson Volquez, against whom he is 8-for-19 (.421) in his career.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Edinson Volquez (4-4, 3.79 ERA) vs. Twins RH Ervin Santana (1-2, 3.13)

Volquez fell to 1-4 with a gaudy 6.00 ERA in his last five starts after yielding four runs and seven hits in six innings versus Boston on Wednesday. The 32-year-old Dominican looks to bounce back against Minnesota, versus which he struck out a season-high 10 batters in 5 2/3 frames of a no-decision on April 10. Volquez owns a 3-1 record with a 2.13 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in seven career appearances against the Twins.

Santana's bid for his second straight victory essentially was thwarted by Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion, who belted a two-run homer on Thursday to leave the 33-year-old Dominican with a no-decision. Santana permitted those two runs and three other hits in a season-high eight innings. The veteran also received a no-decision in his last outing versus Kansas City despite yielding two runs and six hits in as many frames on April 8.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kansas City OF Paulo Orlando is 15-for-26 (.577) with a homer and nine RBIs in his last seven contests.

2. Minnesota RF Miguel Sano is 2-for-17 (.118) with nine strikeouts in his last five games.

3. The Royals placed OF Alex Gordon on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured scaphoid bone and a sprain in his right wrist.

PREDICTION: Royals 6, Twins 1