Kansas City @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 28, 2013 ) Kansas City 8, Minnesota 1

The Kansas City Royals had every reason to fold following a seven-game losing streak, but the team has bounced back with four consecutive wins to remain on the periphery of postseason contention. The Royals, who are 8 1/2 games behind first-place Detroit in the American League Central and trail Oakland by seven for the second wild card, go for a three-game sweep of the skidding Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon. Minnesota has been a perfect elixir for Kansas City, which has won 14 of the 18 meetings between the division rivals.

The Twins have lost four straight and set a dubious franchise record for strikeouts in a season with 1,127 - with a month still remaining in the season. Minnesota has scored only five runs and surrendered 24 during the four-game skid. Despite those lopsided numbers, the starting pitching has acquitted itself well with only three earned runs allowed in the last 19 innings, but the bullpen has been a trainwreck in that span, giving up 13 earned runs in seven frames.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, No TV

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Bruce Chen (5-2, 2.88 ERA) vs. Twins RH Samuel Deduno (8-7, 3.69)

Chen was moved into the starting rotation just before the All-Star break and responded by allowing a total of four runs in his first six outings. He has been rocked in his last two turns, however, giving up six runs in 5 1/3 innings at Detroit on Aug. 18 before surrendering seven in 3 2/3 frames his last time out. Chen is 3-6 with a 4.80 ERA in 23 career appearances (10 starts) versus Minnesota.

Deduno's last start was in question due to a bout of biceps tendinitis, but he threw six strong innings and limited Cleveland to one run on three hits. That victory snapped a three-start losing streak that began in Kansas City, when Deduno was knocked around for four runs on a season-high 12 hits over 5 2/3 frames. Deduno won his first three career starts versus the Royals, yielding two runs over 19 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals C Salvador Perez is 11-for-22 with four homers and 13 RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.

2. Twins SS Pedro Florimon is 7-for-14 in his last five games.

3. Twins C Joe Mauer (concussion) is feeling better but will not accompany the team to Texas for its six-game road trip against the Rangers and Houston Astros.

PREDICTION: Twins 4, Royals 3