Royals at Twins

MINNEAPOLIS (Interstat) — The Kansas City Royals visit the Minnesota Twins on Friday, June 5, 2026, at Target Field in Bloomington, Minnesota. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CDT.

Kansas City (24-38) sends right-hander Michael Wacha (4-3) to the mound. The Twins (29-34) counter with right-hander Zebby Matthews (1-3).

The Royals enter the opener of a three-game series after a 5-2 win Wednesday at Cincinnati, their third victory in their past four games. Right-hander Stephen Kolek (7 innings, 6 hits, 2 earned runs, 8 strikeouts) earned the win in that game. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Kolek has posted a 1.35 ERA over his past three starts, including a complete-game shutout May 23 against Seattle.

Minnesota was shut out 8-0 Wednesday by the Chicago White Sox, snapping a three-game winning streak. Right-hander Eric Orze worked 1⅓ scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Orze has not allowed an earned run in five of his past six appearances and has a 1.69 ERA over his last 10⅔ innings.

The Twins lead the season series 3-1 after a 3-2 win Thursday. Kansas City took the opener March 30 by a 3-1 score.

Friday’s matchup pits Wacha, who has a 3.98 ERA, against Matthews, whose ERA stands at 5.40. The over/under is 8½ runs. The Royals are a minus-1½ favorite on the run line.

Minnesota will look to regain momentum after scoring 19 runs in a three-game sweep of the White Sox before Wednesday’s loss. Kansas City has averaged 5.8 runs over its past four contests.

Following this series, the Royals return home to host Texas, while the Twins travel to Detroit.