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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals 7/1/2009</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
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		<lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:09:53 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:09:53 GMT</pubDate>
		<generator>RUWT?</generator>

		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Mauer has 3 singles, leads Twins past Royals 5-1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo.(AP) -- Joe Mauer has enough hits to lead the
major leagues in batting average. Soon, he'll have enough plate
appearances.

Mauer went 3-for-3 Wednesday in the Minnesota Twins' 5-1 victory
over the Kansas City Royals, raising his average to .392. He's
eight plate appearances short of the 3.1 per game needed to
qualify for the batting race.

"If I have anything to do with it, he'll qualify," manager Ron
Gardenhire said. "I don't mind writing his name in there. He'll
get plenty of at-bats."

With Michael Cuddyer hitting a long home run and Glen Perkins
holding the Royals to one run, the Twins ended a 6-3 trip.

"It's nice to shake hands after a game on the road," said Mauer,
who sandwiched two walks around three singles off Gil Meche
(4-8).

"I felt like I went in there knowing Meche," he said. "He's got
great stuff. I was just trying to keep it simple, go up the
middle, and it seemed to work. I felt a lot better. That's how
it is, you feel pretty good heading into an off day."

Perkins held the Royals to 10 hits in seven innings as the Twins
improved to two games over .500 for the first time all year.
Seven times earlier this season, they'd reached one game over
only to fall back.

"We're there!" said Cuddyer, whose 398-foot home run gave the
Twins a 1-0 lead in the second. "Hopefully, we can continue to
win so we don't have to hear about it any more."

Perkins (4-4) allowed one run for the second straight start. Joe
Nathan got the final out for his 21st save in 23 opportunities,
and his 32nd in 35 chances against Kansas City.

Meche, whose "dead arm" the previous two starts had created
concern among the Royals, gave up three runs - two earned - six
hits and five walks in six inning. He immediately showed
regained velocity, striking out Justin Morneau in the first
inning with a 98 mph fastball.

"I was still throwing in the mid-90s," said Meche. "I tried to
squeeze out that sixth inning and just couldn't get Mauer to
finish the inning."

Kansas City's Billy Butler was 4-for-4 with two singles and two
doubles. He doubled home the Royals' run in the sixth.

"Obviously, I had a good day. But we just couldn't get the big
hit we needed," Butler said. "But that's the way it's going
right now."

With two on and two outs in the third, Joe Crede hit a routine
grounder to second baseman Alberto Callaspo, who let it scoot
under his glove for his ninth error as Mauer scored.

Mauer's RBI single put the Twins on top 3-0 in the sixth. The
Twins added two in the eighth after reliever Robinson Tejada had
struck out the first two batters. Denard Span and Matt Tolbert
singled, and Mauer was walked intentionally. John Bale relieved
and forced in runs with bases-loaded walks to Brian Buscher and
Cuddyer.

The Twins had three players get hurt, but none of the injuries
was thought to be serious. Catcher Mike Redmond left in the
fifth inning after getting hit on the forearm by a foul tip, and
X-rays were negative. After the top of the seventh inning,
shortstop Nick Punto came out with tightness in his lower back.
Morneau, the first baseman, departed with tightness in the left
groin.

"It should be good to go by Friday," Morneau said. "We've got a
day off tomorrow. We didn't want to make it any worse. I felt
like if there was a ball to my right, a play I've got to dive
for, I could have made it a lot worse. So it was just better to
come out."

NOTES: SS Mike Aviles, the Royals' player of the year in 2008,
will have elbow ligament-replacement surgery next week and be
lost for about a year. ... C Miguel Olivo sat out after being
suspended for one game by MLB for making contact with an umpire
during an argument. ... Finishing 15-12 in June, the Twins had
their first winning month of the season. ... The Royals have
committed 59 errors, tied with Seattle for the league lead going
into the Mariners' game Wednesday night at the Yankees. ... The
Twins headed back to Minneapolis for a nine-game homestand
against the Tigers, Yankees and White Sox.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/105020-Mauer-has-3-singles-leads-Twins-past-Royals-5-1</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/105020-Mauer-has-3-singles-leads-Twins-past-Royals-5-1</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:03:11 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Twins-Royals Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN FERGUSON
STATS Writer

Minnesota (40-39) at Kansas City (33-43), 2:10 p.m. EDT

On Tuesday night, the Minnesota Twins' Justin Morneau closed in
on matching the longest home run streak of his career while
continuing his hot hitting this season against the Kansas City
Royals.

As the teams conclude their three-game series on Wednesday,
Morneau will try to tie that streak and also look to help the
Twins conclude a successful road trip.

With his third homer in three games, Morneau helped Minnesota
rally for a 2-1 victory Tuesday. His solo shot in the fourth
inning landed in the fountains in right-center field and tied
the score.

The Twins (40-39) added the go-ahead run in the sixth on Michael
Cuddyer's sacrifice fly after an error on Morneau's fielder's
choice.

"Winning these types of close games is something that will
definitely help us out in the long run," Minnesota starting
pitcher Scott Baker told his team's official Web site.

Morneau now will try to help the Twins win their third straight
series and tie his career-best homer streak, set from May 3-8,
2005. Minnesota, which is 5-3 on its swing, is also looking for
its fourth consecutive series victory away from home.

"If we could get on a roll here, that would be good for our
baseball team," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Morneau, the 2006 AL MVP, has a team-leading 19 home runs and is
second in the league with 64 RBIs. He also will try to add to
his success against the Royals, as he's batting .421 (8 for 19)
with three homers in five meetings this season.

He's done even better against Kansas City's Gil Meche (4-7, 4.27
ERA) over the past three years, going 9 for 19 (.474) with two
home runs.

Meche, however, has won consecutive starts over the Twins,
including a 7-5 victory May 3 at the Metrodome, and Kansas City
has won consecutive series against Minnesota.

To extend that run, the Royals (33-43) could use a better effort
from Meche. After a 16-inning scoreless streak that led to
consecutive wins, the right-hander has a 14.04 ERA in two
straight defeats and home runs have hurt him in those outings.

He gave up two homers for the second straight start in Friday's
5-3 loss at Pittsburgh after allowing just two in his first 14.

"I didn't feel real smooth out there," Meche said. "Tonight was
terrible. I just didn't feel great, didn't have good arm speed,
didn't locate. It was pretty much the same story as the last
start."

Minnesota's Glen Perkins, meanwhile, will try to build on
Friday's performance in St. Louis, where he allowed one run over
seven innings in a 3-1 win.

"It was just keeping the ball down and letting it move," the
left-hander said. "You get through the game quick and there's
not a lot of pitches that you waste."

Perkins (3-4, 4.70) has alternated losses and wins in his last
four starts and hasn't recorded consecutive victories since
winning four straight from Aug. 11-27.

He hasn't factored in two career starts against the Royals,
including Minnesota's 10-7 loss in 11 innings May 2.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/104917-Twins-Royals-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/104917-Twins-Royals-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:02:23 GMT</pubDate>
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