Minnesota @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2016 ) Minnesota 2, Kansas City 5

Despite not being able to defend their world championship, the Kansas City Royals can clinch their fourth consecutive winning season by completing a three-game sweep of the visiting Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Kansas City, which will be sitting home this postseason after reaching the World Series each of the previous two years as it officially was eliminated with Baltimore's victory over Toronto, is riding a four-game winning streak after rallying for three runs in the eighth inning on Wednesday to post a 5-2 triumph.

Alex Gordon highlighted the uprising with a two-run single and Eric Hosmer belted a two-run homer earlier in the contest, giving him two blasts and six RBIs over his last three games. Minnesota's majors-worst record dropped to 56-102 as it lost for the 10th time in 11 contests. Kennys Vargas' two-run homer proved to be all the offense the Twins could muster as they were held to three runs or fewer for the 11th straight time since posting a 5-1 victory at Detroit on Sept. 15. With 40 home runs, Brian Dozier is two away from tying the major-league single-season record for most by a second baseman set in 1922 by St. Louis' Rogers Hornsby and matched in 1973 by Atlanta's Davey Johnson.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kyle Gibson (6-11, 5.04 ERA) vs. Royals LH Danny Duffy (12-3, 3.43)

Gibson has lasted only five innings in each of his last two starts - both losses - after tossing an eight-inning gem at Detroit on Sept. 13. The 28-year-old native of Indiana has lost four of his last five decisions, although he only allowed a total of five runs in the last two defeats. Gibson is 5-4 with one complete game and a 3.38 ERA in 10 career starts against Kansas City, including a no-decision at home on Sept. 7 in which he yielded four runs and eight hits over six frames.

Duffy is coming off a rough outing at Detroit on Friday in which he was tagged for six runs on seven hits - three homers - and four walks in only 3 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old Californian has won just one of his last six turns, allowing three or more runs each time out and a total of 11 home runs in that span. Duffy reached double digits in strikeouts for the third time this season in a no-decision at Minnesota opposite Gibson on Sept. 7, fanning 10 batters, and improved to 5-1 lifetime versus the Twins by giving up one run in 6 2/3 frames on Aug. 21.

WALK-OFFS

1. Twins 1B Joe Mauer (leg) was kept out of the lineup again Wednesday but hopes to return before the season ends.

2. Hosmer became the third left-handed hitter in Royals history to reach the 25-homer plateau in a season, joining John Mayberry and George Brett.

3. Vargas' ninth homer on the season on Wednesday, which matched the career high he set as a rookie in 2014, ended Minnesota's streak of 106 innings without scoring more than one run.

PREDICTION: Royals 7, Twins 3