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Royals-Twins Preview

Jun 9, 2010 - 5:07 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Kansas City (24-34) at Minnesota (33-24), 8:10 p.m. EDT

No matter what happens on the road, returning home to Target Field seems to bring out the best in the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins look to extend their season-high home winning streak to six games when they continue their series with the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Coming off a 3-4 road trip, Minnesota (34-24) opened a nine-game homestand with a 7-3 win over Kansas City on Tuesday as Kevin Slowey threw seven scoreless innings and Jason Kubel had three RBIs.

The AL Central-leading Twins are 19-9 in their new outdoor ballpark, where they've outscored opponents 31-12 during a five-game winning streak. Minnesota is 15-15 on the road.

On the same day Minnesota placed second baseman Orlando Hudson on the disabled list with a sprained wrist, Michael Cuddyer had two hits with an RBI on Tuesday in his first games since a four-game bereavement leave after the death of his father-in-law.

The Twins have won three of four overall despite missing Hudson and shortstop J.J. Hardy, who has not been in the starting lineup since Friday due to inflammation in the bruised left wrist that kept him on the DL most of May. Hardy will be re-evaluated Thursday.

"I need players," manager Ron Gardenhire told the Twins' official website. "I've waited. I've been patient here - too patient."

Cuddyer is 7 for 16 with four RBIs in his last four games, and he's batting .345 with nine RBIs in seven against the Royals this season. The veteran outfielder, however, is 2 for 11 with a homer against scheduled starter Kyle Davies (4-4, 5.49 ERA).

After the Twins tagged reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke for six runs in five innings Tuesday, they'll get their first look at Davies this season. The right-hander is 4-5 with a 4.80 ERA in nine starts against Minnesota.

Davies looks to bounce back after he allowed six runs in four innings of a 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels last Wednesday.

"I wasn't mixing my pitches as well as I should have," Davies said. "I got away from what's made me successful so far in the year."

The Twins hope Carl Pavano (5-6, 4.11) can rebound in this contest after surrendering four runs in the third inning and lasting seven in a 4-1 defeat at Seattle on Thursday.

"The loss was disappointing," said Pavano, 1-3 with a 5.54 ERA since May 17. "I was kind of fighting myself."

The right-hander is 5-5 with a 6.98 ERA in 10 starts versus the Royals. After he allowed seven runs in 3 1-3 innings of a 10-5 home loss to the Royals on April 18, Pavano gave up two in seven innings of an 8-3 win at Kansas City on April 23.

Jose Guillen is 6 for 15 with a homer against Pavano and had two hits with an RBI on Tuesday for the Royals (24-35), who have lost three straight on the road.

Guillen, who has driven in five runs in his last three games, is 7 for 17 at Target Field.