Young right-hander Sean O'Sullivan can help the Kansas City season surge tonight when he takes the mound against closing three-game series at Target Field.
The Royals won Monday's opener, 7-3, for their third victory in four games in the season's last week.
Salvador Perez collected two hits and drove in two runs for Kansas City, which also had a Mike Moustakas homer and two hits with an RBI apiece from Billy Butler and Alcides Escobar.
Felipe Paulino (4-6) worked six innings for the win, allowing six hits and three runs with nine strikeouts.
Michael Cuddyer hit a two-run homer for the Twins, who fell to 4-20 in September.
Kevin Slowey (0-8) was tagged in defeat for 10 hits and five runs in 5 2/3 frames.
O'Sullivan, who turned 24 on Sept. 1, has won 10 major-league games in 42 appearances since debuting with the Los Angeles Angels in 2009, four years after they made him a third-round draft pick.
He split 2010 between the Angels and Royals and has made 11 appearances for Kansas City -- nine starts -- in 2011, beginning the season with the big- league team before going on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis after a June 2 loss to the Twins.
In that game, O'Sullivan allowed seven runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings and dropped his career record against Minnesota to 1-2 in four starts.
He went 8-2 with a 4.22 earned run average in 14 starts with Triple-A Omaha before getting the call back to Kansas City.
Minnesota counters with second-year righty Anthony Swarzak, who'll appear at home for the 17th time this season while still seeking his first win.
The 26-year-old is 0-6 with a 5.04 ERA across 60 2/3 innings in the Twins' home facility, allowing 70 hits and striking out 29 batters.
He last pitched there on Sept. 22 against Seattle and got a no-decision in Minnesota's 3-2 win, the first time they'd won a game in which he appeared since Aug. 3, a stretch of eight appearances.
He's made one career start against the Royals and won it on June 2 -- against O'Sullivan -- after allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings.
Minnesota has split its 16 meetings with Kansas City this season.
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