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Twins continue home set with Royals

Jul 15, 2011 - 2:51 PM (Sports Network) - Twins All-Star outfielder Michael Cuddyer went hitless last night versus Kansas City, but is still having a fine month of July.

Cuddyer made his first All-Star appearance on Tuesday and has hit safely in nine of 11 games this month, going 15-for-38 with a .395 batting average, three home runs and 13 RBI. Cuddyer walked three times in Thursday's 8-4 win over the Royals and will lead his club into the second portion of a four-game series tonight from Target Field.

The Twins have won two straight, four of five and 10 of their last 13 games, and received two hits and two RBI apiece from Joe Mauer and Trevor Plouffe, who also went deep for the fourth time this season and was playing his first game with the big league club since June 1. Mauer is riding a 16-game hitting streak against the Royals

"I knew [the slider] was coming and got the barrel on it," Plouffe said. "I was screaming a lot louder on the inside than I was on the outside for it to stay fair."

Delmon Young had three hits and an RBI in his first game off the disabled list for Minnesota, which is six games off the lead in the American League Central standings and got seven strong innings from winning pitcher Francisco Liriano. Liriano allowed three runs, one of which was earned, and seven hits in seven innings to kick off the Twins' 12-game homestand on a positive note.

The Twins will also host Cleveland and Detroit in four-game sets at Target Field and will hand Nick Blackburn the ball Friday night. Blackburn has won six of eight decisions since a personal four-start losing streak and got by the Chicago White Sox last Friday in an 8-5 win at U.S. Cellular Field, where he was reached for five runs and 10 hits in five innings for the win.

Blackburn moved over the .500 mark at 7-6 in 18 starts to go along with a 4.24 ERA. The right-hander defeated the Royals in a 7-2 triumph back on June 4 at Kauffman Stadium and hurled five innings of two-run ball. He is just 2-3 with a 5.40 ERA in 11 career games (10 starts) against Kansas City.

Kansas City had won three of four games before losing two straight and four of their last five contests, including Thursday's setback in which starter Bruce Chen was tagged for four runs and nine hits in five innings of work. Blake Wood also allowed four runs in just one-third of an inning.

"Bruce wasn't sharp. He was in-and-out of trouble ... and then the roof caved in," Royals manager Ned Yost said postgame.

Melky Cabrera and Brayan Pena each had two hits and an RBI for the Royals. Cabrera is riding a 10-game hitting streak in which he's batting .465 with two homers, nine RBI and seven multi-hit games.

The Royals are 12 games off the AL Central lead and will send Luke Hochevar to the mound Friday. Hochevar lost to the Twins back on June 4 in a 7-2 decision and allowed six runs and 11 hits through six innings. He is 3-3 with a 5.59 ERA in 10 games (9 starts) lifetime against Minnesota.

Hochevar has recorded back-to-back no-decisions and narrowly escaped another loss in last Saturday's 13-6 romp of Detroit. He surrendered six runs and nine hits over a season-low 3 2/3 innings to remain at 5-8 in 19 starts with a less desirable 5.46 ERA. The right-hander is only 1-4 in six road starts in 2011.

Minnesota swept a four-game set against the Royals from June 2-5 at Kauffman Stadium and is 6-4 in the 2011 season series. The two division inhabitants split their previous two meetings this year at Target Field.