Twins Look to Make it Three in a Row Hosting Kansas City
The Minnesota Twins haven’t won three straight games since late June. On Friday, the Twins have a chance to put that unfortunate statistic behind them after beating the Tigers in the final two games of their series. Minnesota will host the Kansas City Royals with the chance to grab an elusive third win and have the right man on the mound to get the job done. Joe Ryan returns to pitch for Minnesota, and he’s been exceptional going back to his June 25th start against the Mariners. In those seven starts, he’s amassed a 2.36 ERA with 45 strikeouts. Taking out one, a four-run allowed stinker in that stretch against Washington, and his numbers go to 1.70 ERA. He’ll have to contend with Royals Bobby Witt Jr., who’s amassed an OPS of .838 and 16 home runs. Along with his running mate, Maikel Garcia, who’s teasing being a .300 batter at .298, while also slugging at .469.
Countering on the mound for the Royals is Noah Cameron. Cameron started the season on an incredible hot streak. He has allowed just three runs in his first four starts and has allowed one or fewer runs in a start nine times this season. Cameron is a pitcher who demands respect but has shown some cracks recently. In two of his last three starts, he’s given up four runs. Despite that, he still holds a 2.68 ERA, and those starts were facing the Blue Jays and Cubs, top teams in the league. Yet, Cameron can’t afford an off-day, as recently the Twins' bats have been lighting it up.
Luke Keaschall may have a small sample size of nine games to his career, but it’s always better to start hot than cold, with a batting average of .393, a slugging percentage of .697, and an OPS of 1.193. He’s not just making contact; he’s hammering the ball and finding the gaps in the defense. He’s also hitting in the clutch, compiling six RBI in the last two games. At-bats like he had in Wednesday’s game against the Tigers, with two outs, and he doubles to score two runs have been the clutch batting that’s been lacking for this Twins team. He’s not alone. Ryan Jeffers currently holds a nine-game hit streak that includes three doubles in his last 10 plate appearances. Along with them, Matt Wallner has reached base in 10 straight contests.
One of the most essential things for Minnesota will be to score first. In the last 21 games in which Minnesota has scored first, they are 17-4. Including a 3-1 record since the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline. The best way to do that is to score in the first inning, which they have done well over the last four games. They put up 10 combined runs in the previous four first innings. The trade deadline was a scary time to be a Twins fan, but putting up even just a little win streak can prove to Twins Nation that there is still plenty to be excited about at Target Field.
