Royals @ Twins

Who will WIN this matchup?

Kansas City Royals (40-72)

@ Minnesota Twins (68-42)

Starting Pitchers:

Keller (KC): 7-10; 4.01 ERA

Odorizzi (MIN) 12-5; 3.73 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Kansas City Royals: 2-8

Minnesota Twins: 7-3

Current odds:

Kansas City Royals: (+185)

Minnesota Twins: (-210)

• A rain delay could not cool the hot bats of the Minnesota Twins, who pounded out 22 runs in taking the first two games from the Kansas City Royals on Friday and Saturday. The Twins will try to keep the hits coming and polish off a three-game sweep when they host the finale on Sunday. Minnesota earned an 11-9 victory in Friday’s opener but had to wait an extra hour and 22 minutes on Saturday before pounding out seven runs in the first two innings and cruising to an 11-3 victory. The Twins, who lead the majors with 216 home runs, got a trio of blasts on Saturday from designated hitter Nelson Cruz, bringing his total for the season up to 30 and his total for the series to four.

• Royals slugger Jorge Soler blasted his 29th homer on Saturday but could not get enough help from his teammates as Kansas City fell for the eighth time in the last nine games. Minnesota, which owns a three-game lead over the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central, will send right-hander Jake Odorizzi to the mound on Sunday opposite Royals righty Brad Keller.

• Keller posted one of his best outings of the season with four hits allowed over seven scoreless innings at Atlanta on July 24 but could not follow it up on Monday against Toronto and suffered a loss. The 24-year-old served up three home runs among eight hits in seven innings against the Blue Jays to suffer his first loss since June 19. Keller was at his best at Minnesota on June 14, when he scattered three hits over seven scoreless innings but did not factor in the decision.

• Odorizzi was rocked for nine runs and 10 hits over four innings in a loss to the New York Yankees on July 24 but bounced back with a win at Miami on Tuesday. The 29-year-old needed 103 pitches to get through 5 1/3 innings against the Marlins but yielded only one run and four hits. Odorizzi made back-to-back starts against Kansas City in June and went 1-1 while allowing a total of eight runs and 15 hits in 10 innings.

• Twins CF Byron Buxton (shoulder) and RHP Michael Pineda (triceps) were both placed on the 10-day IL on Saturday.

• Kansas City CF Billy Hamilton is 0-for-14 over his last seven games.

• Minnesota 1B C.J. Cron (thumb) came off the IL on Saturday and went 3-for-4 with a home run.