Twins making mark in AL Central standings

MINNEAPOLIS -- While the Twins still reside just below .500 with a 36-41 record heading into Sunday's game against the Royals, Minnesota did own the best record in the previous 30 games in the American League Central.

With a 17-13 in that span, the Twins have started to gain some ground in the division standings, sitting only six games behind first-place Detroit. Minnesota's 30-day record tops Kansas City and Cleveland -- each at 16-14 -- Detroit (14-16) and Chicago (8-22).

"I think other than the 10-game losing streak -- you can't throw it out, we did it, we earned it -- if you throw that out, it would look a little bit different right now," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We've hung in there pretty good. Over the last 30 or something games, I think our record is OK. It's pretty decent."

Gardenhire also noted the importance of winning at home, a task they've started to accomplish with a 12-5 record in their last 17 at Target Field prior to Sunday. And while the Twins search for consistency, Gardenhire feels the team is making strides, particularly from recent years.

"We just had the one bad spell and if we could stay away from stuff like that and become a little more consistent -- we're a fun team to watch," Gardenhire said. "It's fun for me. I think the fans like it a little bit better than they have the last couple of years. We've got some issues, absolutely. We've got things we're not clicking -- pitching and hitting together. We've got some guys we really need to get swinging better, but it's actually a pretty fun group with some young kids mixed in, which makes it pretty interesting for going on down the road."