Mere percentage points separate the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins atop the AL Central, and Kendrys Morales' performances have helped provide the edge.
Morales could again have a say in the Royals' success against the Twins at Target Field on Tuesday night.
Kansas City (32-23) had lost nine of 11 before beating Texas 4-3 on Sunday, and the club opened this eight-game road trip with Monday's 3-1 win over Minnesota (33-24).
"We're treating it as a big series," first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "It's a team that's at the top of the division right now. They're playing good baseball. That's how seasons work. When a team is hot and a team is going through a scuffle, if we come and win a series here it can get us going."
Production from Morales could go a long way. He hit a two-run homer in the second inning Monday, and he's 6 for 16 with two homers and five RBIs in four victories over the Twins compared to 1 for 12 in three defeats.
That disparity has been evident all season, as he's hitting .354 with six homers and 34 RBIs in wins while batting .195 with one home run and seven RBIs in losses.
Morales is leading all designated hitters in All-Star voting and is on track to be one of a record seven Royals to be named to the starting lineup for the game at Cincinnati on July 14.
Hosmer is another, and he's 10 for 22 with five RBIs in his last six games at Minnesota. He had an RBI single among his two hits Monday and scored on Morales' blast.
Kansas City is giving the ball to Chris Young (4-2, 2.56 ERA), who has surrendered 10 runs and 15 hits -- three homers -- in 11 innings while losing back-to-back starts. The right-hander had a 0.78 ERA over his first 10 games, allowing one earned run in 22 2/3 innings in four starts.
He gave up seven runs in 14 innings in two starts against the Twins last season while with Seattle, and has surrendered two in five innings of a pair of relief appearances in 2015 -- including a homer to Kurt Suzuki.
Minnesota has dropped three of four, but should feel good about handing the ball to Trevor May (4-3, 4.45) after he turned in the best effort of his brief career Wednesday. The right-hander yielded two hits and matched his season high with nine strikeouts in seven innings of a 2-0 win at Boston. He was aggressive, throwing strikes on the first pitch to 19 of the 23 batters he faced.
"That's kind of the whole philosophy of just trying to stay on," May told MLB's official website. "Have a good game plan every time we got out and be aggressive in the zone. Kind of make them beat you."
May is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP over his last four starts. However, he's been hammered for eight runs and 15 hits with five strikeouts and as many walks in 10 innings while losing two starts to Kansas City.
Both came at home, one in August and one in April. Morales went 2 for 3 with a homer off May in the Royals' 12-3 win earlier this season.
Eddie Rosario, another Twins rookie, has a .383 average while getting at least one hit in each of his 14 home games since being called up from the minors last month. He hit a solo blast for one of his two hits Monday.
