MLB Sports Gambling: Minnesota Twins visit Kansas City Royals

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Mike Stewart

  Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals
When: 8:10 PM ET, Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS Kansas City (Royals)

Opening Line: Kansas City -145
Current Line: Kansas City -120
MLB Betting Lines from: SBG Global Sportsbook

Minnesota Twins’s Francisco Liriano made a triumphant return to the starting rotation last week and is in good position to prove it wasn’t a fluke as the Twins visit the worst home team in baseball – the Kansas City Royals – on Tuesday. Liriano started the season 0-4 with a 9.45 ERA and was banished to the bullpen May 9. He resurfaced Wednesday and pitched six shutout innings with nine strikeouts in Minnesota’s 4-0 victory over Oakland.

Liriano will oppose fellow left-hander Bruce Chen, who has won four of his last five starts, but was roughed by the Twins (six runs in 2 2/3 innings) in Minnesota’s 7-4 victory on April 29.

The Twins have won six of their last seven games after their 10-7 victory at Kansas City on Monday. They are 10 games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox in the American League Central and 2½ back of the fourth-place Royals.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins LH Francisco Liriano (1-5, 7.20 ERA) vs. Royals LH Bruce Chen (4-5, 4.86)

Liriano allowed four earned runs in 7 1/3 innings over five relief appearances before earning his first victory since Aug. 20, 2011. He is 6-4 in 13 career games against the Royals, including a victory in his last appearance July 14, 2011. The Kansas City roster is hitting .248 against Liriano. Yuniesky Betancourt and Billy Butler have each homered against him, but are a combined 10-for-49.

Chen allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings in the Royals’ 6-3 victory at Cleveland on May 30. He was roughed up in his previous start (six runs in four innings) after winning three straight. Chen is 2-5 in 18 career appearances against the Twins. Chen has handled Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, who are a combined 7-for-30 against him.

1. Mauer missed Monday’s game with a mild right thumb strain and is day-to-day. He is batting .457 in 24 games against Kansas City since 2010 and has helped the Twins to a 17-7 record in those contests.

2. Kansas City’s Mike Moustakas went 3-for-4 with a homer and two doubles on Monday and is 9-for-20 in his last seven games.

3. Minnesota reliever Jared Burton struck out the side in the eighth inning and has fanned the last five batters he’s faced.

Recent Trends on Minnesota::

• MIN are 4-12 in their last 16 Tue. games.
• MIN are 34-76 in their last 110 overall.
• MIN are 34-76 in their last 110 games on grass.

Recent Trends on Kansas City::

• KC are 7-20 in their last 27 home games.
• Over is 7-2-1 in Chens last 10 Tue. starts.

Head to Head :

• MIN are 36-17 in the last 53 meetings.
• Over is 33-16-2 in the last 51 meetings.

Prediction: Sports Handicappers Consensus Picks for $2 Per Day

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Tags

billy butler - bruce chen - francisco liriano - jared burton - joe mauer - justin morneau - kansas city royals - kauffman stadium - mike moustakas - minnesota twins

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