Twins Vs. Royals: Bruce Chen, Kansas City Spoil Francisco Liriano's Quality Start With 1-0 Win

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Twins Recall Chris Parmelee, Send Cole De Vries To Triple-A Rochester

The Minnesota Twins have had several pitchers start games for them this season, with injuries and issues aplenty. Now, they've sent one of those pitchers down in order to bring up a position player, as it happens. According to the Pioneer Press, the Twins have sent down pitcher Cole De Vries to Triple-A Rochester. De Vries, who played with the University of Minnesota, was 1-1 with a 4.20 earned run average in three starts for the Twins.

First baseman Chris Parmelee is the guy they're calling up. He started the season on the active roster but hat a paltry batting average, hitting just .179 with no home runs and three runs batted in. That was in 27 appearances, too. But now the Twins need him, and maybe his stint with Rochester did him good.

He hit .375 with four home runs and 12 RBIs at Rochester, so the Twins are hoping he can carry some of that momentum with him. Minnesota begins a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, and are off on Thursday.

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Twins Vs. Royals Final Score: Minnesota Picks Up 4-2 Win

The Minnesota Twins had a three-game winning streak snapped in game two of their series against the Kansas City Royals, but got revenge by taking the three-game set two games to one with a 4-2 victory on Wednesday. Aside from a homerun in the first inning, the Royals were unable to mount any kind of offense.

As noted, Y Betancourt had a homerun in the first inning to take a 2-1 lead, scoring Alex Gordon in the process. Kansas City didn't really have anything other than that. Ryan Doumit doubled to right field to score Jamey Carroll in the first inning, but it wasn't until the fifth inning that they took the lead.

Justin Morneau singled to left center scoring Carroll in the fifth, and then Carroll had his part in a third run of the day when he singled to left center, scoring Ben Revere in the seventh. Nick Blackburn picked up his second win of the season with five innings pitched. He gave up two runs and five hits. Luis Mendoza was given the loss for the Royals.

Next, the Twins will return home for nine games, with a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs.

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Joe Mauer Injury: Slugger Likely To Miss At Least One More Game

Compared to 2011, Joe Mauer has barely missed any time at all for the Minnesota Twins. That year, he missed over 80 matches because of various injuries that befell him, one of the big reasons why the Twins had one of the worst seasons in franchise history when it was all said and done.

Compared to that, Mauer's recent several game stretch that has seen him out with a sprained thumb since Sunday's game against Cleveland is barely anything. Still, the Twins may be without their star DH/Catcher for a day or two more as he continues his rehab, according to Twincities.com.

"I would say he won't play tomorrow, and then we have the off-day Thursday, and then see where we're at on Friday," assistant general manager Rob Antony said. "It's better, but still a little sore."

The Twins have this Thursday off between series against the Royals and Cubs, and it looks like that day should provide just enough time to get Mauer up and cookin' again in a Twins uniform.

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Twins Vs. Royals Final Score: Bruce Chen, Kansas City Shutout Minnesota, 1-0

The Minnesota Twins should be really encouraged by Francisco Liriano's second straight quality start (6 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K), but despite the lefty only allowing one run over six innings on Tuesday, it wasn't enough to beat Bruce Chen and the Royals.

Chen countered Liriano's six strong with seven shutout; he struck out five and walked none while allowing only four Twins to reach. Greg Holland and Jonathan Broxton finished the job.

The Twins threatened in the ninth with a one-out double from Josh Willingham, but Broxton was able to escape and complete the shutout, picking up his 14th save in the process.

The rubber match will be Wednesday at the same time, 8:10 p.m. ET.

For more on the Minnesota Twins, check out Twinkie Town. More on the Kansas City Royals can be found over at Royals Review. If you want more news and analysis on the world of baseball, check out Baseball Nation.

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Twins Vs. Royals Score Update: Francisco Liriano Struck Out 4 Batters In An Inning

Francisco Liriano is going for his second straight win since rejoining the starting rotation for the Minnesota Twins. After six shutout innings with nine strikeouts in his first start back from the bullpen, Liriano has tossed six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts and just one walk (the first batter of the game). Four of those strikeouts came in one inning:

Liriano's 4-K inning ties the Major League record. Third to do it this year, joining Bud Norris (Astros) & Ryan Cook (A's). #Twins

— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) June 6, 2012

Jeff Francoeur reached on a wild pitch after the strikeout, so that allowed for Liriano to strikeout a fourth hitter in the inning. According to the broadcast, it's the first time a Twins pitcher has struck out four batters in a single inning since Scott Baker did it in 2008.

Liriano is currently getting outdueled by Bruce Chen, though, as the righty for the Royals has gone six-shutout innings and has struck out four opposite zero walks. The Royals lead the Twins 1-0 going into the seventh.

For more on the Minnesota Twins, check out Twinkie Town. More on the Kansas City Royals can be found over at Royals Review. If you want more news and analysis on the world of baseball, check out Baseball Nation.

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Twins Vs. Royals: Francisco Liriano Looks To Build On Last Outing

Francisco Liriano will make his second start since returning to the rotation when the Minnesota Twins face the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.

Liriano, 1-5, was relegated to the bullpen after a frightful start to the season. Through six starts, he was 0-5 with a 9.45 ERA. At that point he had 21 strikeouts and 19 walks and hadn't given up fewer than four runs in any start.

But the move to the pen seems to have helped. He allowed zero earned runs in his first four relief appearances, and in his return to the rotation on May 30, he pitched 6.0 innings with nine K's and zero earned runs.

The Royals will put lefty Bruce Chen on the hill. Chen is 4-5 with a 4.86 ERA, but he has won four of this last five starts.

The Royals, who are the only team in the Majors with a worse home record than the Twins, are 2.5 games ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 Central.

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Twins Vs. Royals Final Score: Minnesota's Big Bats Help Beat Kansas City, 10-7

Three home runs and nine other hits paced the Minnesota Twins to a 10-7 win on Monday night over the Kansas City Royals, helping them take the first of a three-game series.

The Twins had a 10-5 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Royals scored twice and put the tying run on deck, forcing Ron Gardenhire to go to his closer Matt Capps to get the final out of the game.

Josh Willingham started the scoring in the first with a two-run home run and had three runs batted in. Justin Morneau added two runs on a two-run homer in the fifth and Trevor Plouffe hit a solo shot two batters later.

Cole De Vries picked up his first career win despite only going five innings. He gave up four earned runs and struck out four opposite no walks in the outing. Capps picked up his 13th save of the season by recording the final out of the game.

The Twins and Royals continue their series on Tuesday night at 7:10 p.m. CT.

For more on the Minnesota Twins, check out Twinkie Town. More on the Kansas City Royals can be found over at Royals Review. If you want more news and analysis on the world of baseball, check out Baseball Nation.

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Twins Vs. Royals Score Update: 3 Home Runs Help Minnesota To 7-4 Lead In Fifth

The Minnesota Twins are playing without Joe Mauer on Monday night in Kansas City, but the Twins haven't had any problems scoring runs. Through four and a half innings, three home runs have helped the Twins to a 7-4 lead on the Royals.

Josh Willingham lit up the scoreboard first with a two-run homer in the top of the first inning. Willingham now has 11 home runs and 38 runs batted in on the season.

The Twins added another run in the top of the second inning on a single by Jamey Carroll, who also tripled in a run in the fourth.

After the Royals tied the game at 4-4 with three runs in the home half of the third, the Twins responded with three of their own in the top of the fifth behind a two-run home run from Justin Morneau and a solo blast by Trevor Plouffe. Plouffe's home run chased Royals' starter Will Smith from the game.

There have been four home runs in the game, as Mike Moustakas cut the Twins' lead to 3-1 with a solo homer in the bottom of the second for the Royals.

For more on the Minnesota Twins, check out Twinkie Town. More on the Kansas City Royals can be found over at Royals Review. If you want more news and analysis on the world of baseball, check out Baseball Nation.

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Twins Vs. Royals: Joe Mauer Injury Keeps Him Out Of Monday's Lineup

When the Minnesota Twins open a three-game set against their Central Division rivals the Kansas City Royals on Monday night, the team will have to do so without the help of Joe Mauer. Mauer is currently day-to-day with a sprained right thumb which he injured on Sunday in the Twins' 6-3 win over the Cleveland Indians.

The Twins have won five of their last six and will look to continue on that impressive run despite not having Mauer at their disposal.

Here is the projected lineup they plan to field on Monday night:

Minnesota

1. Denard Span, CF

2. Ben Revere, RF

3. Josh Willingham, DH

4. Justin Morneau, 1B

5. Ryan Doumit, C

6. Trevor Plouffe, LF

7. Brian Dozier, SS

8. Alexi Casilla, 2B

9. Jamey Carroll, 3B

Starting pitcher: RH Cole De Vries (0-1, 2.70 ERA)

Kansas City

1. Alex Gordon, LF

2. Johnny Giavotella, 2B

3. Billy Butler, DH

4. Mike Moustakas, 3B

5. Jeff Francoeur, RF

6. Eric Hosmer, 1B

7. Alcides Escobar, SS

8. Jarrod Dyson, CF

9. Humberto Quintero, C

Starting pitcher: Will Smith (1-1, 6.75 ERA)

For more on the Minnesota Twins, check out Twinkie Town. More on the Kansas City Royals can be found over at Royals Review. If you want more news and analysis on the world of baseball, check out Baseball Nation.