Kansas City @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 7, 2013 ) Minnesota 2, Kansas City 5

The Kansas City Royals have put a losing streak in the past and now set their sights on maintaining their dominance of the host Minnesota Twins when the teams meet on Tuesday. Kansas City dropped seven straight through Saturday to tumble in the American League wild-card race, but won a series finale with Washington on Sunday and rolled over Tampa Bay in a makeup game Monday. The 11-1 triumph over the Rays allowed the Royals to stay seven games behind Oakland for the AL's second wild-card spot.

Kansas City is 12-4 against the Twins this year, including a three-game sweep at Minnesota less than a month ago. The Royals have outscored their divisional foes 81-48 in the process. The Twins, who have lost six of their last seven at home, completed a 3-3 road trip with a 3-1 loss at Cleveland on Sunday.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH James Shields (8-8, 3.22 ERA) vs. Twins RH Kevin Correia (8-10, 4.52)

Shields had back-to-back starts against the Twins earlier this month with mixed results. He first yielded two runs in six innings to defeat Minnesota at Target Field before returning home to give up seven runs in six frames of a 7-0 loss. That is a microcosm of the season for the 31-year-old, who is 6-3 with a 2.34 ERA on the road, including a 2-0 mark at Minnesota.

Like Shields, Correia had vastly different outcomes in a pair of recent encounters with the Royals, giving up two runs in six innings at home July 31 before getting pounded for six runs in just two frames at Kansas City five days later. He has since recovered by posting a 2.57 ERA over his last three starts, but errors behind him and a lack of run support has led to a pair of losses in that stretch. Correia is 0-3 with a 6.75 mark in five career starts versus the Royals.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals OF David Lough is 5-for-5 with three doubles against Correia.

2. Twins C Joe Mauer is eligible to come off the seven-day concussion list Tuesday, but he will remain sidelined and may begin an exercising program at that time.

3. Kansas City 1B Billy Butler is 8-for-16 with a home run and two walks in his last four games.

PREDICTION: Royals 5, Twins 3