Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals series preview
The Minnesota Twins will look to rebound from its last series when they head to Kansas City for a four-game series with the Royals.
If anybody is disappointed with the Minnesota Twins’ recent performance, it shows just how far this team has come during the 2019 season. In previous years, winning two out of three games would be a celebration and an indication that the Twins were turning things around or establishing momentum for the next season. Today, two out of three games spawns several debates on how Minnesota can fix its shortcomings.
It’s a welcome turn of events for the Twins as they look to rebound after dropping two of three games to the Boston Red Sox earlier this week. In a series where they simply didn’t look like the dominant team they have been for the first three months of the season, it’s a fair discussion to wonder if the cracks are starting to show on a team that may be the biggest surprise in baseball.
How do you fix a team that is going through a slump with the current roster they have? Bring in the American League Central.
For the second weekend in a row, the Twins will square off against the Kansas City Royals. Last weekend, the Royals made things interesting with some strong starting pitching, but couldn’t keep up with the loaded Twins lineup as Minnesota took two of three games.
The Twins will look to do the same thing this weekend as they look to continue their dominance in a weak division. If Minnesota can find itself in the fountains of Kaufman Stadium, it may be the boost they need to get back to their former selves.
About the Royals
Things haven’t gone so well for the Royals this season, but a lot of that was to be expected for a team in its second year of a rebuilding project. While Kansas City has a lot of nice young pieces to move forward with, they could find themselves with a completely different roster in the near future.
For right now, the Royals sit 23.5 games behind the Twins in the AL Central with a 25-49 record. While the record is ugly, there are some positives for the Royals as their starting pitching has started to show some progress as of late. In their last series against the Seattle Mariners, the Royals were able to allow their offense to get into the game as Danny Duffy and Homer Bailey both pitched well to help Kansas City take two-of-three games at T-Mobile Park.
What’s more encouraging for the Royals has been their offense in recent weeks. Whit Merrifield is always dangerous as he clubbed two home runs in Kansas City’s 9-0 win over Seattle on Tuesday night and Jorge Soler is enjoying a breakout season after smashing his 19th home run of the season in a 6-4 win over the Mariners on Monday. This lineup should get even better once third baseman Hunter Dozier returns from an oblique injury.
While the Royals’ power is beginning to emerge, their biggest threat is their speed. Billy Hamilton remains one of the fastest players in the game and Adalberto Mondesi has already swiped 27 bags to lead the American League. Unfortunately, Mondesi will likely miss this series after suffering a groin injury against the Mariners on Tuesday night. According to the Kansas City Star’s Lynn Worthy, Mondesi is in “wait and see” mode to find out the extent of the injury.
Even though they hold one of the worst records in baseball, the Royals have enough here to give the Twins a challenge this weekend. After winning two of their past three series and giving the Twins a competitive set at Target Field last weekend, it won’t be a series that’s as easy as it looks on paper.
About the Twins
The Twins are coming off what has to be one of their most disappointing series of the year against the Boston Red Sox. Although they were able to come away with a 17-inning victory against Boston on Tuesday night, the other two games left much to be desired as a lack of clutch hitting doomed the Twins in a 2-0 loss on Monday and a bad start by Kyle Gibson helped Boston earn a 9-4 victory on Wednesday night.
While the clutch hitting doesn’t seem to be a major concern moving forward for the Twins (ask Max Kepler), the effectiveness of their bullpen has come into question. Blake Parker was struggling prior to being placed on the family emergency list and the entire unit may be fatigued after Tuesday’s 17-inning effort and Gibson’s 4 2/3 inning start on Wednesday.
What might be more concerning is the sudden rash of injuries that has hit the team. After being hit by Brad Keller on June 14, Byron Buxton wound up on the injured list with a wrist contusion early this week. Marwin Gonzalez also went to the injured list on Wednesday, prompting the return of fan favorite Willians Astudillo.
Even though many have been excited to see “La Tortuga” back in the lineup as he crushed a home run in Wednesday’s loss, the absence of Buxton and Gonzalez will be felt until they make their respective returns.
For now, the Twins will have to lean on the guys that have gotten them to this point as Jorge Polanco continues to lead the American League in batting average and Nelson Cruz, Eddie Rosario and Mitch Garver have been steady in the middle of the lineup. If guys like Miguel Sano, who is currently hitting .171 with 19 strikeouts in his last 35 at-bats, can get going, the Twins should be able to find their mojo in Kansas City.
Pitching Probables
Thursday: Jake Odorizzi (10-2, 2.24 ERA) vs. Glen Sparkman (1-3, 4.01 ERA)
Jake Odorizzi allowed two home runs to the Kansas City lineup in his last start, but it didn’t matter as the Twins rallied late to earn the 5-4 victory on Joe Mauer night. The win for Odorizzi was his 10th straight decision and the Twins have won 11 straight starts by the right-hander. Against a Kansas City lineup that averages 4.26 runs per game which ranks 25th in MLB.
Glenn Sparkman will get a second chance at Odorizzi after winding up on the losing end last Saturday. The Twins have had the right-handers number during his career as he’s gone 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in three career starts against Minnesota. After giving up five runs to the Twins on Sunday, this could represent a good chance to bounce back.
Friday: Martin Perez (7-3, 4.09 ERA) vs. Jakob Junis (4-6, 5.33 ERA)
Martin Perez had the bounce back start he needed against the Royals on Sunday and entered the seventh inning for the first time since his May 17 start against the Seattle Mariners. Despite the length of his start, he still gave up five runs, which gives him a 2-3 record with a 5.55 ERA in his last seven starts. Hopefully, Perez can build on his start from last Sunday and get back on track.
Junis pitched well in the Royals win over the Twins last Sunday, but his pitch count went through the roof as he could only get past four innings. Junis allows plenty of contact and the Twins had threats throughout the afternoon as they left 15 men on base in the 8-6 loss. A little more luck here and they could get to the left-hander.
Saturday: Jose Berrios (8-3, 2.86 ERA) vs. Danny Duffy (3-3, 4.64 ERA)
Jose Berrios deserved a better fate in the Twins’ 2-0 loss to the Red Sox on Monday. The right-hander threw eight innings while striking out ten and the only blemish was a J.D. Martinez RBI double early in the game. Berrios has been a bit of a high-wire act lately, but if Monday’s start is a sign of things to come, it could be a long night for the Kansas City lineup.
Danny Duffy wasn’t perfect in his Monday start against the Mariners, but he was effective enough to get through five innings. Although the Kansas City bullpen was fantastic in holding the lead, Duffy has the stuff to be effective against this Twins lineup. He might just have a tall task going head to head with Berrios.
Sunday: Michael Pineda (4-3, 4.76 ERA) vs. Homer Bailey (6-6, 4.82 ERA)
Michael Pineda has started to turn it on in recent starts as he continues to round himself back into form after 2017 Tommy John surgery and knee tendinitis which momentarily forced him onto the 10-day injured list. Since returning on June 7 against Detroit, Pineda has compiled a 2.70 ERA in 16 2/3 innings and has gained velocity on his fastball.
Pineda’s opponent will be Homer Bailey, who is starting to round into form in his own right. In Bailey’s last start on Wednesday, the veteran threw 7 2/3 of scoreless ball while holding the Mariners to five hits while striking out six and walking a pair of batters.
Series Outlook
This weekend represents a get right series for the Twins. Although it is a long one with the four-game set starting on Thursday night, this is a team that Minnesota should take three games from considering their massive advantage in the American League Central.
In order to defeat the Royals, they’ll have to be careful of the middle of the lineup with power from Soler and a potentially returning Dozier. They’ll also have to do a better job of keeping Hamilton off the bases as he was a thorn in the Twins’ side last weekend.
Next. Ranking the Twins starting rotation. dark
Much like last weekend’s series, the Twins are the better team by a wide margin here. Perhaps that is what frustrated Twins fans after last weekend’s two-of-three series win knowing that Minnesota had the opportunity to do so much more. Either way, the Twins need to get back in a rhythm and the Royals may be the perfect opponent to make that happen.