(SportsNetwork.com) - The Kansas City Royals go for a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins Wednesday night and will close out their six-game homestand.
The defending American League-champion Royals took the opener of this set by a 7-1 score and eked out a 6-5 win Tuesday night. The Royals scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to stay ahead for good, as Jarrod Dyson scored on a Christian Colon groundout and Mike Moustakas gave the home team the lead with an RBI single.
Moustakas had a big night and went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI, while Alex Gordon went deep for Kansas City, which has won three straight to improve to 11-3 on the season.
"We got a great team and everyone believes in each other," Moustakas said.
Jason Vargas got the start for KC and was touched for five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. Chris Young threw two scoreless innings of relief for the win and Wade Davis notched his third save in the ninth.
Kansas City, which is 7-1 at home, will hit the road this weekend to face the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians. It may not have reliever Kelvin Herrera, who was suspended five games for throwing behind Oakland's Brett Lawrie on Sunday. Herrera is expected to appeal the punishment.
Royals starter Yordano Ventura was fined for his actions during the weekend series versus the Athletics.
Jeremy Guthrie will take the mound for the Royals Wednesday and is 1-0 with a 5.54 earned run average in two starts. He won his season debut on April 11 against the LA Angels and recorded a no-decision in last Friday's 6-4 win over the A's. He gave up four runs for the second time and lasted six innings.
Guthrie has fared well in his career against Minnesota and is 9-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 16 games (14 starts).
The Twins have lost three of four games after winning three straight and are just 1-7 as the visitor. Casey Fien was dealt the loss on Tuesday for his work in the eighth inning and starter Tommy Milone yielded four runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Joe Mauer and Kurt Suzuki each had two hits and an RBI in defeat.
"We just couldn't contain them there at the end," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.
Minnesota is scheduled to play the Seattle Mariners three times this weekend and hopes Mike Pelfrey can salvage the finale of this series in KC. Pelfrey has posted a pair of no-decisions and has a 4.50 ERA to show for it. In his last start on April 17 versus Cleveland. Pelfrey allowed one run in five innings of work.
Pelfrey is 0-2 with a 9.49 ERA in three career starts against the Royals.
Kansas City won 11 of its 19 matchups with the Twins a year ago.
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