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Royals continue set with Twins

Aug 17, 2014 - 1:49 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Kansas City Royals try to stay atop the American League Central on Sunday when they play the third test of a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. .

Jeremy Guthrie will get the starting nod for the Royals on Sunday. Guthrie enters the fray with an 8-10 record and a 4.45 earned run average on the season.

The veteran righty put an end to his personal three-game win streak Tuesday in a start against the Athletics, in which he lasted just 4 2/3 innings and gave up six runs (four earned) on 11 hits.

In 14 career appearances and 12 starts against Minnesota, Guthrie is an impressive 8-3 with a 2.94 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.

Minnesota counters Guthrie with former Athletics pitcher Tommy Milone, who has built up a 6-3 record with a 3.52 ERA.

Milone has started just one game as a member of the Twins - a six-inning effort at Houston in which he earned a no-decision after allowing two runs on eight hits. This will be his first start at Target Field as a member of the home squad.

"The kind of pitcher I am, I don't go out there with a bunch of adrenaline," Milone said after his first start with the Twins. "I felt like I had way too much today. It's good to get the first one out of the way."

Against Kansas City in his career (four starts), the lefty is 3-1 with an even better 1.84 ERA.

Phil Hughes continued to pitch well on Saturday against a helpless Royals lineup, ash helped Minnesota to its fourth win in six tries. Hughes went 7 1/3 innings and surrendered just one run on seven hits, and added six strikeouts in a 4-1 Twins victory.

"You got to put up more runs than one," said Royals first baseman Billy Butler. "That's not the way it is every night, but that's the way it is tonight."

Danny Santana, Brian Dozier and Kennys Vargas all contributed RBI in the seventh inning for the Twins, who capped their night with a Kurt Suzuki homer in the eighth.

It was only the second loss in the last 13 games for the Royals, who still lead the AL Central by a half game over the Detroit Tigers.