Twins Seek Sweep Over Royals in Final Game of Homestand

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — The Minnesota Twins will conclude a six-game homestand on Sunday, hoping to secure a three-game sweep against the Kansas City Royals. Having won 16 of their last 18 games, the Twins face one of the season’s top pitchers as they look to maintain momentum.

The Twins captured the first two games of the series with dramatic walk-off victories. On Saturday, Brooks Lee delivered a two-out, RBI single in the ninth inning, clinching a 5-4 win despite trailing by four runs earlier. In Friday’s game, the Royals held a 1-0 lead until Ty France hit a two-run homer in the final inning, leading to a 3-1 loss for Kansas City.

“Frustrating, yeah, I mean there’s no doubt,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro after the loss on Saturday. “We’re competing like crazy, and you want to come out on top. To get walked off both days in a row, it’s really a gut punch.”

Starting for the Twins on Sunday will be right-hander Bailey Ober (4-1, 3.68 ERA), who is looking to bounce back from recent struggles against the Royals. Although Ober boasts a no-decision after three innings of one-run ball against the Cleveland Guardians earlier this week, he has yet to win against Kansas City, holding an 0-4 record with a 5.90 ERA over 11 starts.

In a previous matchup this season, Ober limited the Royals to one run over 7 innings before receiving another no-decision in a 3-2 loss on April 10.

The Royals will counter with Kris Bubic (5-2, 1.47 ERA), who aims to stabilize the team after they lost three of their last four games. Bubic has faced the Twins 10 times in his career, recording a 1-5 record with a 5.27 ERA.

Twins’ bullpen has played a critical role in the series, allowing just two runs over 8 1/3 innings and striking out 10 batters. Manager Rocco Baldelli emphasized the importance of being competitive, stating, “If you give yourself a chance by keeping it close, things can work out. We’re confident offensively.”

Despite injuries, the Twins continue to perform well. Star outfielder Byron Buxton has been sidelined since May 15 due to a concussion. Meanwhile, shortstop Carlos Correa, who also suffered a concussion, returned on Friday, contributing significantly to the team’s efforts, including a tying homer and scoring the winning run on Saturday.

Kansas City’s Vinnie Pasquantino has seen a resurgence at the plate, raising his batting average 24 points to .244 over the last week, including multiple hits in this series.