Minnesota can attest to how well Randy Dobnak has pitched since he joined Kansas City.
Meanwhile, Twins ace Joe Ryan hopes to end his current rough stretch, which included a loss to Dobnak and the Royals last Wednesday.
Looking to avoid a third straight losing decision, Ryan and the visiting Twins aim to hand the Royals their fifth loss in a row Tuesday night, with Dobnak trying to best his former team for a second consecutive start in the opener of a three-game series.
Entering Monday four games out of first in the American League Central and one back of the final wild-card spot, Minnesota looks to get back on track following two straight walk-off losses at Seattle.
To bolster their pitching staff, the Twins acquired starter Dean Kremer from the Orioles, and relievers A.J. Minter from the Mets and Jeff Hoffman from the Blue Jays before Monday’s trade deadline.
Minnesota also should have some confidence after going 2-1 against Kansas City at home before losing two of three to the Mariners.
Minnesota’s lone defeat during that Royals series came when Dobnak (1-0, 1.04 ERA) outpitched Ryan (6-7, 3.52), who is 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in three 2026 starts against Kansas City.
Ryan is also 1-4 with a 4.91 ERA over his last six starts, allowing 12 runs and 18 hits in 10 innings of the past two. Last week, he gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings against the Royals.
“Not putting the ball where I want to,” Ryan said.
“Just kind of battling some things. Just trying to figure out how I can get right. … Just got to keep digging and trying to figure it out.”
Meanwhile, Dobnak, the longtime Twin who was acquired by Kansas City from Seattle in June, has been outstanding since his debut with the Royals on July 2. In three starts, the right-hander has given up only a solo homer and 11 other hits over 16 1/3 innings.
During his return to Minnesota last week, Dobnak yielded four of those hits and a walk over seven strong innings to record his first major league win since 2021.
“He knows who he is. He knows what he does well,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
“He doesn’t try to do something else. And, he’s poised. He believes in what he’s doing, and he executes.”
After Dobnak’s strong outing, Kansas City was outscored 27-11 during a four-game losing streak. The Royals scored eight runs while getting swept at Colorado over the weekend.
However, Kansas City appears set for star Bobby Witt Jr.’s return Tuesday after missing the last 12 games with lower back tightness.
“We figured with the off-day Monday, let’s take the cautious route and have him ready to go full-go on Tuesday,” Quatraro said.
Last in the AL Central, Kansas City acquired prospects in deals that sent outfielder Lane Thomas to Atlanta last week and injured former All-Star pitcher Kris Bubic to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.
Minnesota’s Royce Lewis is hitting .300 with two homers and seven RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak.
–Field Level Media
