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The Minnesota Twins will battle the Kansas City Royals Monday night. Minnesota has taken six of the previous eight matchups and will look to continue beating up on their American League Central foes.
The Twins lost 4-2 on Sunday to the Los Angeles Angels, dropping to 58-55 on the season. The Royals are now 48-68 on the year after their 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
Kansas City snapped the Dodgers' double-digit winning streak, but they have been poor on the road this season. The Twins are chasing the Cleveland Guardians right now, who they trail by 2 1/2 games for the division lead.
"Sunday shutout. #TogetherRoyal" - Royals
Minnesota will tab Joe Ryan for Monday's contest. He is 8-5 with a 3.95 ERA through 18 starts. Kansas City's offense doesn't hit much, as they rank seventh-lowest in runs per game and ninth-lowest in OPS.
Ryan's performances have recently dipped, as he's given up 16 earned runs in his last 14 2/3 innings. The good news is that the righty has been very solid at home this season, sporting a 2.92 ERA at Target Field. He pitched well against the Royals in a 7-2 win back in May, so expect Ryan to get back on track on Monday.
"Kris Bubic says his fastball was as good as it's been all season in the #Royals' win over the White Sox on Wednesday." - Bally Sports Kansas City
Kris Bubic, who is 2-6 with a 5.02 ERA, will take the mound Monday for Kansas City. He has had a season to forget so far, and he'll be facing a decent Twins lineup. Lately, though, the left-hander has been better, sporting a 2.27 ERA in his last five outings. Look for Bubic to build off of his recent success in the series opener tonight.
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals Match Details
Fixture: Kansas City Royals @ Minnesota Twins
Date & Time: Monday, August 15, 7:40 p.m. EDT
Venue: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals Betting Odds
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals Best Picks
The Royals' lineup hasn't been good all year, and losing Andrew Benintendi at the deadline makes it a lot weaker. Their starter, however, Bubic, has been great recently, and he's looked like a completely different pitcher. Expect six quick outs on Monday as both teams travel in from different cities.
Pick: No Runs First Inning (-104)
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals Betting Prediction
The Twins have dominated in Ryan's recent starts, winning 10 of their last 11 while favored when he pitches. Also, the under has hit in 13 of 20 for Minnesota while playing at home. Back Minnesota here to lead through five and look for a modest scoring output from both clubs.
Prediction: Twins First 5 Innings -0.5 (-130) & Under 8 (-105)
Last 15 Days MLB Picks are: 90-70-3 (+136.0 Units)
