Kansas City @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 8, 2015 ) Kansas City 3, Minnesota 1

Kendrys Morales, who began last season with the Minnesota Twins, quickly tormented his former teammates in his return to Target Field on Monday. Morales clubbed a two-run homer and the visiting Kansas City Royals made the lead stand in a 3-1 victory to forge a tie with Minnesota atop the American League Central entering the middle contest of the three-game series on Tuesday.

Morales ended a 13-game drought with his seventh blast to lift the Royals to only their fourth win in 13 games. Offense continues to be a problem for Kansas City, which has scored more than three runs only three times in its last 14 contests. The Twins have started to level off following a 7-1 surge that pushed them a season-high 11 games above .500. Minnesota has dropped five of its last eight games and been held to three runs or fewer six times in that span.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Chris Young (4-2, 2.56 ERA) vs. Twins RH Trevor May (4-3, 4.45)

Young is coming off his worst effort of the season, losing his second straight start after getting knocked around by Cleveland for six runs and eight hits over five innings. The 6-10 Young also was tagged for four runs and a pair of homers in his previous outing against the New York Yankees after yielding a total of one run in his first four starts. He is 1-2 with a 3.35 ERA in eight career appearances (six starts) versus Minnesota.

May turned in the best performance of his career at Boston on Wednesday, blanking the Red Sox over seven innings on two hits while registering a season-high nine strikeouts. He was unable to hold an early four-run lead in his previous turn versus Toronto and wound up with a no-decision after giving up four runs in six frames. May has lost both career starts against the Royals, yielding eight runs over 10 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe was hitless in four at-bats Monday and is 1-for-28 over his last seven games.

2. 3B Mike Moustakas and 1B Eric Hosmer, who each had two hits Monday, are among seven Royals leading the All-Star Game voting at their positions.

3. Twins LF Eddie Rosario has hit safely in four straight and 12-of-13 games.

PREDICTION: Twins 4, Royals 2