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Royals set to debut Guthrie against Twins

Jul 22, 2012 - 2:15 PM (Sports Network) - Jeremy Guthrie will make his Kansas City Royals debut this afternoon when he gets the call for the finale of a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins.

After struggling in his first season with the Colorado Rockies, Guthrie was dealt to the Royals on Friday in exchange for starter Jonathan Sanchez. Guthrie was 3-9 with a 6.35 earned run average in 19 games with the Rockies, including 15 starts.

He was tagged for four earned runs over 2 2/3 frames in his final appearance with the Rockies on Wednesday. After spending the first eight seasons of his career in the AL, the righty is looking forward to a fresh start.

"It's a great opportunity," Guthrie told Kansas City's website. "It's a place where if I could choose a place to be, this would certainly be at the top of the list. Great young team with all the potential in the world, and I'm happy to be a part of it."

The 33-year-old also draws a favorable assignment today as he is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA in eight previous meetings with the Twins, all but two of those starts.

The Royals exacted revenge on the Twins following a Friday night loss to even up the series on Saturday, winning 7-3.

Luis Mendoza (4-6) earned the win after allowing three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings of work.

"He pitched into the seventh inning, did a great job again, executed his pitches," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He battled a little bit up in the zone, but was always able to make the adjustment."

Aaron Crow pitched a perfect eighth and ninth inning to notch his second save of the season.

Scott Diamond (8-4) was shaky in the defeat, surrendering 10 hits, two walks and four earned runs over six innings of work. It was the left-hander's first loss since June 19.

Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain each notched three hits for the Royals, while Cain added a career-high three RBI.

"That's one of the main reasons we made the Melky Cabrera trade (to San Francisco for Sanchez) because we felt like Cain was ready to contribute," Yost said. "He is showing now exactly what we were thinking he would be capable of doing if he was healthy all year long. It's a nice shot in the arm to have him in the lineup."

Alcides Escobar, Billy Butler, Mike Moustakas and Yuniesky Betancourt all had two hits a piece for Kansas City.

Chris Parmelee went 2-for-4 for the Twins with an RBI. Joe Mauer and Jamey Carroll also knocked in runs for Minnesota.

Making his third career major league start for the Twins Sunday afternoon will be Sam Deduno, who has a 5.59 ERA in a pair of no-decisions this season.

Deduno failed to make it out of the fifth inning in his last start on July 17, surrendering six hits, five walks and four runs (three earned), though the Twins managed to beat the Orioles 6-4.

The 29-year-old right-hander will try to get a better handle on the strike zone this time out, as he's issued eight walks in 9 2/3 innings this season.

The Twins won six of the first nine games between the teams in 2012, across three series. Kansas City has not won the season series since 2003.