Twins at Royals
The Minnesota Twins stumbled in their first game following the All-Star break but aren’t ready to give up on their faint playoff hopes. The Twins look to snap a seven-game road losing streak on Saturday when they continue their three-game series against the host Kansas City Royals, who posted their third victory in the past 16 games with Friday’s 6-5 win.
Kansas City owns the second-worst record in the majors at 28-68 but held on for the win Friday behind Danny Duffy’s seven strong innings to go along with Lucas Duda’s homer and three RBIs. Minnesota won nine of 11 games entering the break but was 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the opener and lost despite two hits from Joe Mauer, who is batting .329 with 16 RBIs in his last 17 contests. Mitch Garver ended a 0-for-15 skid with an RBI triple in the eighth inning, but it wasn’t enough for a Twins' team that is battling to stay in contention with the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline fast approaching. “Nobody has given up,” Mauer told reporters. “I’ve seen a turnaround happen. We’ve been playing good baseball, and we’ll keep fighting.”
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Lance Lynn (7-7, 5.22 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jake Junis (5-10, 5.13)
Lynn won his second consecutive start on July 11, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits over five innings against Kansas City. The 31-year-old native of Indiana has yielded the third-most walks in the American League (55), including eight over his last three outings. Duda is 1-for-17 with six strikeouts against Lynn, who is 2-1 with a 5.09 ERA in six career starts against the Royals, including 2-0 with a 4.09 mark in two outings this season.
Junis has been out most of the month with lower back inflammation but will be activated from the disabled list Saturday to make his first start since July 2. The 25-year-old struggled in his last five starts before landing on the DL, posting a 9.33 ERA with 12 home runs allowed over 27 innings. Junis faced the Twins on May 28 and allowed three runs on six hits with four walks over six frames in the 8-5 setback - the first of seven consecutive losing starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Minnesota is a major league-worst 7-17 at Kauffman Stadium since 2016.
2. Twins 1B/DH Logan Morrison (hip) is expected to be activated from the DL prior to Sunday’s series finale.
3. The Royals placed INF Adalberto Mondesi on the family medical emergency leave list prior to the opener and recalled INF Ramon Torres from Triple-A Omaha.