Twins-Kansas City series preview

Three-game series at Target Field

All games on BSN and 830-AM

Friday, 7:10 p.m.: RHP Brady Singer (1-2, 2.95) vs. RHP Michael Pineda (1-1, 2.42)

Saturday, 1:10 p.m.: LHP Danny Duffy (3-1, 0.39) vs. RHP Matt Shoemaker (1-2, 5.49)

Sunday, 1:10 p.m.: RHP Brad Keller (2-2, 9.00) vs. RHP Jose Berrios (2-2, 3.04)

Royals update

First-place Kansas City (15-8) has a seven-game lead over the Twins in the American League Central. … The Royals will play 16 consecutive games against AL Central teams. … 1B Carlos Santana is 14-for-41 over the past 11 games with 11 RBI. He has a team-high 19 RBI and 16 walks after signing a two-year, $17.5 million deal in the offseason. … The Royals also added OF Andrew Benintendi in a three-team trade from Boston. He's hitting .234. . … 2B Whit Merrifield leads Kansas City with a .286 average. … SS Adalberto Mondesi (elbow) is out. … Singer got his first victory with seven innings of three-hit work vs. Detroit on Saturday. … He started three times against the Twins as a rookie and was 1-2 with a 5.52 ERA. …The Royals lead the AL in stolen bases with 22. … Josh Staumont (0.68 ERA) has three of the team's nine saves.

The Twins are 8-15 after losing 13 of 16. … They'll make some moves Friday with RF Max Kepler and LF Kyle Garlick coming off the COVID injury list; 1B Miguel Sano (hamstring) could return this weekend. … CF Byron Buxton is tied for the MLB lead with eight homers. He doesn't have enough at-bats to qualify or would be leading the AL in batting average (.438) and OPS (1.408). … Sano is fifth in the AL in slugging pct. at .676. … The Twins are a first-inning team. They have a .364 average (35-for-96) in first innings, by far the best in MLB, and their pitchers have given up just three first-inning runs, fewest in the majors. … Sano (.111), C Mitch Garver (.172), 2B Jorge Polanco (.193), OF Jake Cave (.182) and C Ryan Jeffers (.147) are all hitting lower than .200.