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Twins start up homestand with clash against Royals

Jul 14, 2011 - 2:37 PM (Sports Network) - A slow start to the season is in the past for the Minnesota Twins, who will begin a 12-game homestand tonight versus AL Central opponents with the first of four straight meetings with the Kansas City Royals.

The Twins will also host both Cleveland and Detroit, and entered the All-Star break having won nine of 12 games. They took three of four matchups with the Chicago White Sox before the hiatus, including a 6-3 victory on Sunday from U.S. Cellular Field. All-Star Michael Cuddyer, Rene Tosoni and Jason Repko each had two hits and an RBI for the Twins, who were 17-37 at one point but now sit 6 1/2 games behind idle Detroit for the AL Central lead.

"It's just the nature of this division, everybody beats everybody up," said Cuddyer, who went 0-for-1 in Tuesday's All-Star Game. "When it's all said and done, hopefully we are where we set out to be."

Alexi Casilla ended with two hits and two runs scored, while Ben Revere recorded a pair of hits for the Twins, who received six innings of one-run ball out of winning starter Anthony Swarzak. Matt Capps hurled a scoreless ninth for his 15th save.

Francisco Liriano will toe the rubber for the Twins tonight and he's only 5-7 with a 5.06 earned run average in 15 starts this season. Liriano, who tossed a no-hitter on May 3 at the White Sox, did not record a decision in his previous outing, a 12-5 loss versus Tampa Bay last Wednesday. He gave up five runs and six hits in 4 1/3 frames with four K's and four walks.

Liriano, a left-hander, lost to Kansas City on April 13 in a 10-5 loss and was reached for seven runs and eight hits over five innings. In 12 career games (9 starts) against the Royals, Liriano is 5-4 with a 4.64 ERA. He is 2-3 in seven trips to the Target Field mound this season.

Kansas City lost three of four to the Tigers before the break and is just 6-15 in its last 21 games. The Royals suffered a 2-1 loss in Sunday's series finale with the Tigers, as Jeff Francis was dealt the loss for giving up both runs and four hits in six innings.

"Jeff did exactly what we needed him to do and that was keep us in the game against [Justin] Verlander and give us a chance," Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur said. "We got a couple (chances) late there with an opportunity and we just weren't able to come through."

Alcides Escobar scored KC's lone run of the game in the eighth inning on a throwing error. Aaron Crow was the Royals' lone All-Star representative and did not see action in a 5-1 win by the National League.

The Royals, last in the AL Central standings, have won three of their last four road games and will send Bruce Chen to the bump Thursday. Chen is a solid 5-2 on the season to go along with a 3.26 ERA in 10 starts and is coming off six innings of one-run ball in a 4-1 victory at the White Sox last Wednesday.

Chen struck out four and walked three, and is 2-2 with a 2.82 ERA in four road outings this season. The lefty did not record a decision in a 4-3 win over Minnesota on April 29, allowing three runs in 5 1/3 innings. He is 1-3 with a 6.51 ERA in 14 career games (4 starts) against the Twins.

Minnesota swept a four-game set against the Royals from June 2-5 at Kauffman Stadium and is 5-4 in the 2011 season series. The two division inhabitants split their only two meetings this year at Target Field.