The Kansas City Royals (25-59) take one of the lowest-scoring offenses in MLB on the road to face the Minnesota Twins (42-43) at Target Field on Monday for the opener of a three-game series.
The Royals are playing their first of seven games on the road after wrapping up a six-game homestand (3-3). They won two out of three in their last series against the Dodgers, taking the finale 9-1 on Sunday at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium.
Drew Waters was 2 for 3 with a double, three runs, and one RBI. Maikel Garcia went 4 for 4 with two RBIs. The Twins are back home for a six-game homestand after concluding a nine-game road trip (4-5).
They won two of three against the Orioles in their last series, dropping the finale 2-1 on Sunday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Willi Castro went 1 for 3 with a double and one RBI.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Twins have won six of seven in the season series between the AL Central rivals, including an 8-4 victory in their most recent meeting on April 30 at Target Field.
Sonny Gray got the win, giving up one run on five hits over six innings and striking out seven, and Jhoan Duran pitched 0.1 scoreless innings to pick up his sixth save.
ON THE MOUND
For Minnesota, right-hander Joe Ryan (8-5, 3.44 ERA) gets the start. He has made one prior start against the Royals this season, giving up one run over six innings in a 7-4 road win on April 2. He gave up three hits and walked two while striking out six in the win.
In his last start on Tuesday, Ryan took the loss on the road against the Braves. He threw three innings and gave up six runs on nine hits, striking out five, in the 6-2 defeat. The right-hander is tied for fourth in the AL in wins.
AT THE PLATE
The Kansas City offense is averaging 3.8 runs per game for the season, the second lowest in MLB, with a slash line of .231/.295/.371. Salvador Perez leads the team in OPS at .742.
The catcher is slashing .253/.288/.454 with 15 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 36 runs over 76 games. Against righties like Ryan this season, the Royals have a .657 OPS, the third lowest in the league.
Perez also is the team’s most potent producer against right-handers with a .823 OPS in 209 at-bats. Minnesota is slashing .232/.309/.400 for the season and averaging 4.2 runs per game.
Byron Buxton leads the team with a .749 OPS. The center fielder has 14 home runs, 31 RBIs, and 38 runs scored with a slash line of .209/.302/.447.
Minnesota is averaging only 2.4 runs per game in the last five with their slash line slipping across the board (.224/.281/.352).
HOME AND AWAY
Kansas City is 12-28 in road games in 2023, scoring 3.4 runs per game while allowing 5.0 runs. Minnesota has gone 23-19 at Target Field this season, averaging 4.4 runs per game while surrendering 4.1. In the last 10 meetings at Target Field, Minnesota is 9-1 with an average scoreline of 5.5-2.1.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Twins lead the AL Central by one game over the Guardians. The Royals are fifth in the AL Central, 17 games behind the Twins.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Minnesota Twins -1.5 (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
