Kansas City takes 9-game losing streak into matchup with Minnesota

Updated Jul. 2, 2021 3:20 a.m. ET

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Minnesota Twins (33-46, fourth in the AL Central) vs. Kansas City Royals (33-47, fifth in the AL Central)

Kansas City, Missouri; Friday, 8:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Twins: J.A. Happ (4-3, 5.83 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 55 strikeouts) Royals: Brady Singer (3-6, 4.70 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 81 strikeouts)

LINE: Royals -110, Twins -106; over/under is 10 runs

BOTTOM LINE: Kansas City enters the game as losers of their last nine games.

The Royals are 15-23 against AL Central opponents. Kansas City has hit 79 home runs this season, last in the American League. Salvador Perez leads the team with 19, averaging one every 16.5 at-bats.

The Twins have gone 14-19 against division opponents. Minnesota has slugged .433, good for fifth in the MLB. Nelson Cruz leads the team with a .584 slugging percentage, including 30 extra-base hits and 18 home runs.

The Twins won the last meeting 2-1. Luke Farrell earned his first victory and Miguel Sano went 1-for-5 with a double and an RBI for Minnesota. Brady Singer took his fifth loss for Kansas City.

TOP PERFORMERS: Perez leads the Royals with 19 home runs and is slugging .508.

Cruz leads the Twins with 76 hits and has 45 RBIs.

LAST 10 GAMES: Royals: 1-9, .243 batting average, 7.97 ERA, outscored by 43 runs

Twins: 5-5, .256 batting average, 5.40 ERA, outscored by eight runs

INJURIES: Royals: Daniel Tillo: (undisclosed), Jesse Hahn: (shoulder), Wade Davis: (forearm), Ronald Bolanos: (flexor), Andrew Benintendi: (rib), Emmanuel Rivera: (hand), Adalberto Mondesi: (oblique), Cam Gallagher: (shoulder).

Twins: Cody Stashak: (back), Devin Smeltzer: (elbow), Michael Pineda: (elbow), Luke Farrell: (oblique), Randy Dobnak: (finger), Edwar Colina: (elbow), Rob Refsnyder: (hamstring), Kyle Garlick: (hernia), Jake Cave: (back), Byron Buxton: (hand), Mitch Garver: (groin).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Ronald Bolaños

Devin Smeltzer

Jesse Hahn

Randy Dobnak

Cam Gallagher

Brady Singer

Michael Pineda

Edwar Colina

J.A. Happ

Nelson Cruz

Kyle Garlick

Salvador Perez

Byron Buxton

Rob Refsnyder

Daniel Tillo

Mitch Garver

Luke Farrell

Miguel Sanó

Jake Cave

Cody Stashak

Minnesota Twins

Kansas City Royals