Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – The Minnesota Twins go for their third straight win tonight as they host the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game series at Target Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
Minnesota comes in riding a pair of wins over the Athletics to close out the weekend. The Twins took Saturday’s game 2-0 behind a shutout effort on the mound, then piled on Sunday afternoon in an 11-8 win that was closer at the finish than it was through the middle innings.
The Twins put up three runs in the first and three more in the second on Sunday, and led 8-0 before the Athletics answered with three in the sixth and three in the seventh. Minnesota added a pair in the eighth for breathing room. Kansas City’s Central Division rival finished with 13 hits and did not commit an error, while the Athletics were charged with four.
Connor Prielipp picked up the win, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing one earned run on two hits with five strikeouts. Ryan Kreidler had one of the biggest days at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and three runs scored. Kody Clemens added three hits, including two triples, and Ryan Jeffers drove in three.
The series is the middle piece of a six-game homestand for Minnesota. The Twins entered play Tuesday at 53-54, good for third place in the American League Central. Chicago leads the division at 55-50, with Cleveland a game ahead of Minnesota at 54-53. The Twins sit three games back of the White Sox with roughly two months left in the regular season.
Kansas City arrives in a much different spot. The Royals are 45-62 and last in the division, eight games behind Minnesota in the standings and 10 back of Chicago.
Games two and three of the series are set for Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. and Thursday at 12:40 p.m. Minnesota then heads west for a three-game weekend series at Seattle beginning Friday, July 31st, before opening August with a return trip to Kansas City on Tuesday, August 4th.
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