Kansas City @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 22, 2015 ) Minnesota 3, Kansas City 0

The battle for supremacy in the American League Central begins when the Minnesota Twins host the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game series on Monday. The Twins avoided a three-game sweep with a win over Milwaukee on Sunday and enter the series with a one-game lead over the Royals.

Kansas City sat atop the division until a recent swoon saw the team drop nine of 12 games. The Royals managed to avoid being swept at home by taking a 4-3 decision from Texas on Sunday, marking the third time in the last 12 contests they managed to score more than two runs. Minnesota needed only two runs to dispatch the Brewers behind a strong start from Mike Pelfrey on Sunday and are an AL-best 20-9 at home. Phil Hughes will try to give the Twins another quality start when he takes the mound on Monday.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Jason Vargas (4-2, 4.79 ERA) vs. Twins RH Phil Hughes (4-5, 4.96)

Vargas, who has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his last four starts, breezed through six innings against Cleveland to pick up a win on Wednesday. The veteran needed 86 pitches to get those 18 outs and still is being watched closely after missing three weeks with a flexor strain in his elbow. Vargas has allowed more than two runs only twice this season, with the instances coming in back-to-back starts against Minnesota in which he yielded a total of 10 (nine earned) and 18 hits over 8 2/3 frames in April.

Hughes is coming off his shortest outing of the season, a 4 1/3-inning performance in which he was lit up for five runs on a season-high 11 hits and a walk to suffer a loss at Boston. The California native had worked at least six frames in each of his previous five starts and nine of 10. Hughes missed Kansas City the first two times the teams met but is 7-4 with a 5.06 ERA in 13 career games (12 starts) against the Royals.

WALK-OFFS

1. Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe is 1-for-24 in six games this month.

2. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon 1-for-17 with no RBIs in six June contests.

3. The division rivals have split six games this season, with each taking two of three at home.

PREDICTION: Royals 6, Twins 4