March 18, 2024

Royals turn away Twins

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The bases were loaded with no outs in the bottom of the ninth, and Wade Davis was staked to a three-run lead for the Kansas City Royals.

He turned up the heat and sent down the Minnesota Twins.

Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer, Lorenzo Cain had four hits and two RBIs, and the Royals picked up where their bats left off the night before to build a 7-4 victory over the tumbling Twins 7-4 on Tuesday.

Davis worked a wobbly ninth for his 12th save in 13 attempts, preserving the seventh win for the Royals in their last nine games despite a leadoff double by Eduardo Escobar preceding consecutive walks. Davis struck out Eduardo Nunez and Joe Mauer and finished with a routine fly out by Miguel Sano.

“Wade, when he gets his back up against the wall, it’s kind of like, ‘That’s it,’” Royals manager Ned Yost said, adding: “It’s just that closer in him. The tighter the situation, the better he is.”

The Royals (24-21) raised their two-game total in Minnesota this week to 30 hits and improved to 5-0 against the Twins this season. The start for the defending World Series champion Royals was slow, particularly at the plate, and now Alex Gordon is out for a while. But the trip to Target Field has triggered a surge.

“We try to keep the line moving. That’s been the motto the last few years,” Cain said.

Edinson Volquez (5-4) picked up his fifth victory, matching the cumulative total for Twins starters this season.

Escobar had three hits, but the Twins lost to the division rival Royals for the eighth straight time at home. They fell to 4-19 against the American League Central this year.