Royals at Twins
The Minnesota Twins look to open the season in grand fashion with a three-game sweep when they host the Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon in the series finale. The Twins punished the Royals’ bullpen for the second straight game Wednesday by recording six runs in the seventh inning in a 9-1 victory after scoring seven times two days earlier.
Eduardo Escobar belted a three-run homer while Miguel Sano hit a three-run triple Wednesday and boasts five RBIs in the first two contests to lead an improved Minnesota offense, which registered 16 bases on balls. Right-hander Kyle Gibson will try to make it three in a row for the Twins after a strong spring in which he allowed five runs in 28 1/3 innings, and newcomer Jason Hammel will try to salvage a win for Kansas City, which managed seven hits combined in the first two games. Mike Moustakas homered for the lone run in the series opener and had a single Wednesday while Paulo Orlando knocked in the only run for the Royals, who started the season 8-2 in 2016. “We just haven’t had many opportunities to capitalize on,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost told reporters. “We’re just a little slow getting going with the bats right now. But as we’ve seen that changes quick.”
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Kansas City, FSN North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jason Hammel (2016: 15-10, 3.83 ERA) vs. Twins RH Kyle Gibson (2016: 6-11, 5.07)
Hammel won a career-high 15 games with the World Champion Chicago Cubs last season - five more than his previous best - and reached 30 starts for the third consecutive year and seventh overall. The 34-year-old South Carolina native was not as good on the road last season with a 5-8 mark and 5.33 ERA while allowing a .284 batting average (.191 at home). Joe Mauer went 5-for-14 with a homer and four RBIs versus Hammel, who is 2-1 in seven games (six starts) with a 3.79 ERA against the Twins.
Gibson tries to recapture his 2015 form when he won 13 games, after being limited to 25 starts by injuries last year and coming up five victories shy of his total in the previous season. The 29-year-old Missouri product struggled at Target Field last season, going 1-8 with a 5.21 ERA in 13 starts while finishing 5-3 on the road. Drew Butera is 6-for-8 and Alex Gordon is 10-for-28 with a homer each against Gibson, who went 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in three starts versus Kansas City in 2016 and is 5-4 overall in the series.
WALK-OFFS
1. Kansas City CF Lorenzo Cain, who was second on the team among regulars with a .339 on-base percentage in 2016, has a single and three walks in the first two games.
2. Minnesota C Jason Castro reached base seven times in his first eight plate appearances with the team after drawing four walks Wednesday.
3. The Twins, who started 0-9 in 2016, is off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2007 when they won the first three of the campaign.