Kansas City @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 5, 2018 ) Kansas City 5, Minnesota 6

The Minnesota Twins are struggling to score runs of late and enter the weekend riding a five-game losing streak after finishing up a 2-7 road trip. The Twins will try to turn things around at home when they open a three-game series against the visiting Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Minnesota totaled four runs in three games at Houston this week and let things get out of hand in a 9-1 loss in Wednesday's finale. "It's a fine line," Twins manager Paul Molitor told reporters. "A couple of zeros early. You try to keep it close and compete with your starting pitcher and we just didn't hold them down very well early in these games. And we certainly didn't hit well enough to get back into them." The Royals pushed themselves well ahead of the Baltimore Orioles in the race to avoid the worst record in the American League with a surprising six-game winning streak but finally fell back with a pair of losses at AL Central-leading Cleveland this week. Kansas City will try to coax a third straight quality start out of right-hander Heath Fillmyer on Friday while Minnesota turns to lefty Stephen Gonsalves.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Heath Fillmyer (2-1, 4.01 ERA) vs. Twins LH Stephen Gonsalves (0-2, 9.90)

Fillmyer earned a win over Cleveland while allowing one run in six innings on Aug. 25 and followed it up with seven strong frames against Baltimore on Saturday. The 24-year-old rookie scattered two runs and nine hits against the Orioles but did not factor in the decision in a game Kansas City won 5-4. Fillmyer surrendered three runs on five hits and three walks in three innings at Minnesota on Aug. 3 but was not involved in the decision.

Gonsalves is making his fourth career start and looking for his first win after allowing a total of 14 runs - 11 earned - and 19 hits over nine innings in his first three chances. The 24-year-old issued four walks in each of his last two turns and could not make it out of the fourth inning at Texas last Friday. Gonsalves is facing Kansas City for the first time and is 0-2 with an 11.37 ERA in two home starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Twins LF Eddie Rosario (quad) and 3B Miguel Sano (leg) could both return this weekend.

2. The Royals claimed RHP Ben Lively off waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies and added him to the major-league roster.

3. Kansas City RF Jorge Bonifacio is 1-for-10 with eight strikeouts in his last three games.

PREDICTION: Royals 7, Twins 5