Twins at Royals
The Minnesota Twins are the only team in the majors yet to lose three in a row in 2019, and their resilience was on full display yet again Friday when they twice overcame three-run deficits to post their 16th comeback victory of the season. The Twins put the majors' best road record on the line once again Saturday when they visit Kansas City for the third of four games against the Royals.
Minnesota surrendered three first-inning runs for the second time in as many nights and fell behind 6-3 after five innings Friday before scoring five runs over the seventh and eighth to improve to 25-13 away from home. Jorge Polanco extended his career-high on-base streak to 34 games with a pair of hits, while Eddie Rosario recorded his third multi-hit game over the last four contests for American League Central-leading Minnesota, which had dropped four of its previous five. The Royals were unable to knock off the Twins for a third straight time despite a huge effort from Cheslor Cuthbert, who tied career highs with three hits and four RBIs. Instead, Kanas City suffered its major-league leading 26th loss in a game in which it held a lead.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Jose Berrios (8-3, 2.86 ERA) vs. Royals LH Danny Duffy (3-3, 4.64)
Berrios took a hard-luck loss despite allowing one run and matching a season high with 10 strikeouts across a season-high eight innings Monday against Boston. The one-time All-Star has permitted exactly one earned run in four of his last five outings and boasts a 1-1 record to go along with a 1.31 ERA in three June turns. Alex Gordon (6-for-24) is the only Royal with a home run against Berrios, who settled for a no-decision in Kansas City on April 2 after giving up three runs in seven frames.
Duffy's winless streak reach five games following an uneven 105-pitch performance Monday at Seattle in which he yielded four runs on seven hits and three walks over five innings. The 30-year-old has watched his ERA increase by more than 1 1/2 runs across his last four outings - a stretch during which he is 0-2 with a 7.32 ERA. Nelson Cruz (5-for-15, home run) and Jonathan Schoop (6-for-18) are among the Twins who have fared well against Duffy, who is 6-2 with a 2.58 ERA in 21 appearances (17 starts) versus Minnesota.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Twins are a majors-best 13-5 in one-run games, while the Royals are a majors-worst 5-15. Minnesota is 4-0 in such games against Kansas City in 2019.
2. Cuthbert has driven in 15 of the Royals' 73 runs since making his season debut on May 31.
3. Polanco's on-base streak is the longest active run in the majors and nine shy of Joe Mauer's club-record streak of 43 from Aug. 7-Sept. 25, 2015.