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The Minnesota Twins will play host to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. This matchup pits one American League Central team with playoff aspirations against one team whose playoff hopes float away awhile ago. The Twins fell again to the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday to move to 69-70 on the year. The Royals currently hold a 57-84 record on the season after their win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
"Sunday shutout. #TogetherRoyal" - Royals
Kansas City has been a poor team away from home, having lost 20 of their previous 28 on the road. Looking at Minnesota, they're down to five games behind the American League Central-leading Cleveland Guardians after losing three straight to them.
Joe Ryan, who is 10-8 with a 4.05 ERA, will be taking the hill Tuesday for Minnesota. The Royals lineup, which scores the seventh-fewest runs per game, is pretty bad on paper and shouldn't give Ryan too many problems.
Last start, Ryan tossed four innings, allowing three hits and four earned runs while punching out three in a loss to the New York Yankees. This outing wasn't great or even that long, so expect him to last deeper tonight.
The Twins' righty has been very solid in his home park this year, which is a great sign, as he's sporting a 3.13 ERA at Target Field. In August, he and the Twins got the better of Kris Bubic, so we'll see if he can do it again on Tuesday.
Kansas City will send out Kris Bubic, who has a 2-11 record 5.37 ERA. He has had a terrible year, and he'll be up against an average Twins lineup on Tuesday. Lately, the left-hander has been slightly worse even, holding a 6.75 ERA in his past four starts. The Twins knocked Bubic around for 10 hits and four runs previously, so we'll see if the bats can show up again in the series opener.
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals Match Details
Fixture: Kansas City Royals @ Minnesota Twins
Date & Time: Tuesday, September 13, 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 Twins were able to score four runs off Bubic just a few weeks ago, and that game was played in Minnesota. The lefty has now allowed three or more earned runs in four of his previous five starts, and the Twins have a more than capable lineup.
Pick: Kris Bubic Over 2.5 Earned Runs Allowed (-125)
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals Betting Prediction
Kansas City has struggled badly on the road, and they're 7-16 in Bubic's starts this year. Back Joe Ryan and the Twins to lead through five in their home park on Tuesday.
Prediction: Twins First 5 Innings -0.5 (-122)
