Minnesota Twins probable pitchers & starting lineup vs. Kansas City Royals, May 30
- Twins are going for another series victory over the Royals
- First pitch is scheduled for 12:10pm CT
- Here's everything to know
Not every game is going to be perfect, which is what the Minnesota Twins found out on Wedensday against the Kansas City Royals.
A 6-1 loss is never ideal, but it also doesn't seem to be much cause for panic in Minnesota. Despite the loss, the Twins are still dominating the Royals this year and have a chance to close out a second series victory over their AL Central foes on Thursday.
Beating the Royals would do more than just continue giving Minnesota the upperhand, it would keep closing the gap in the division race. Kansas City has parlayed its Twins-style offseason into a second place record in the AL Central and enters Thursday's series final with a four game lead over the Twins.
Minnesota can't catch the Royals in this this series but a win would both help keep the Twins on track to bounce back and continue to send a message to Kansas City that objects in your rearview are closer than they appear.
Twins vs. Royals probable starting pitchers, May 30
The Twins will be sending out Chris Paddack (4-2, 4.39 ERA) to try and lock the series victory down on Thursday afternoon. Target Field has been good to The Sheriff, as he's 3-1 at home with a 2.73 ERA and turned in a great outing against the Rangers last week. Paddack went five innings and allowed just two runs on two hits, which is something he'll want to build on against the Royals.
Thursday will be the first time that Paddack is facing the Royals this season and it will be just his third AL Central matchup. He dominated the White Sox back in April and pitched eight fantastic innings against the Guardians before the game was eventually lost.
Meanwhile, Brady Singer (4-2, 2.63 ERA) has seen the Twins already this season and is probably licking his chops for a second crack at them. Singer was on the mound for Kansas City's 11-0 destruction of Minnesota in the third game of the season, pitching seven scoreless innings while striking out ten Twins batters.
That was the start of Minnesota's offensive concerns, and it would be fitting for the team to exorcise those demons against Singer on Thursday.
Minnesota Twins lineup today vs. Royals
Here's what the Twins will be rolling with to try and pull off a second series victory against the Royals and their third series victory in a row.
- Manuel Margot, RF
- Carlos Correa, SS
- Ryan Jeffers, DH
- Jose Miranda, 3B
- Byron Buxton, CF
- Willi Castro, LF
- Kyle Farmer, 2B
- Carlos Santana, 1B
- Christian Vazquez, C
Once again Manuel Margot is hitting in the leadoff spot, which is both puzzling but also something Rocco Baldelli has done a lot this season. It's worked to varying degrees, but as Margot's -0.7 WAR sugegsts it's not the best idea in the world.
Still, Margot is finally hitting over .200 which isn't a high bar to clear but is a marked improvement from where he's been. Perhaps another game hitting leadoff will help him continue to turn things around at the plate.
What time is the Minnesota Twins game today?
Three of Minnesota's next four games are going to be in the afternoon window, with Thursday's showdown with Kansas City being the first. The game is scheduled to get underway at 12:10pm CT, which also means there's plenty of time to decompress before watching the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals later in the evening.
Unlike last Friday's game against the Rangers, this start time was originally scheduled and has nothing to do with the Wolves hosting a playoff game at Target Center on the same day.
How to watch Minnesota Twins game today?
With the Wolves playing both later in the day and on TNT, the Bally Sports North airwaves will be wide open for the Twins on Thursday afternoon.
- Game time: 12:10 pm CT
- Date: Thursday, May 30, 2024
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Stadium: Target Field
- TV Channel: Bally Sports North
As for streaming options, here's what you can look for if Bally Sports North isn't an option on cable:
- Bally Sports website and Bally Sports App
- MLB.tv (subscription required)
- fuboTV (which has a free trial)
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