Twins Video
Dobnak: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Home Runs: Rosario (7), Sano (5)
Top 3 WPA: Tyler Duffey 0.227, Eddie Rosario 0.126, Miguel Sano 0.104
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):

Good pitching, good defense and bombas. Everything worked out for Minnesota on Saturday night, as they snapped a five-game losing streak at Kauffman Stadium dating back to the last game of last season. They even this current series and can win it this Sunday. That would also avoid a season series loss for Minnesota against the Royals.
With injuries piling up, the Twins could have had morale affected. Hours before tonight’s game, the club announced that Jake Odorizzi (chest contusion) and Zack Littell (right elbow) had been placed on the 10-Day Injured List, making it seven key players sidelined now. However, if that was the case, they sure managed to hide it very well.
Minnesota put together a nice lead in the top half of the first. Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco opened up the game with back-to-back hits, Max’s being a double. Then came Eddie Rosario with a swing at the first pitch he saw, homering to the fountains at Kauffman Stadium.
https://twitter.com/Twins/status/1297313249340338176
The Twins got at least one piece of good news regarding player injuries. Luis Arráez was back at the lineup after missing three games due to a sore knee. He helped turn two inning-ending double plays that helped Randy Dobnak to quickly pitch through the first two innings with only 20 pitches, keeping the Royals scoreless.
Sanó stays hot, Dobber in trouble
Dobnak this year isn’t used to a lot of run support, but he got some more of that in the fourth. Having a great month of August, in which he was having a .947 OPS before this game, and a 1.184 OPS in the previous seven games, he blasted his longest (458-feet) and hardest (115.8 MPH) home run of the year, with a solo bomb to lead off the inning.
https://twitter.com/Twins/status/1297327556870496256
The Twins starter induced yet another double play in the bottom half of the fourth, his third of the game, a career high. But he was roughed up a bit in the fifth, giving up a lead off home run to Alex Gordon and later an RBI-double to Nicky Lopez. Overall, he gave up four hits in the 19-pitch inning and saw his comfortable four-run lead be cut in half.
Although his pitch count still looked good (79 pitches), Dobnak’s evening was done early in the sixth. Two Kansas City runners reached to start the inning, with a catcher interference on a Jorge Soler swing, followed by a Ryan McBroom single. Tyler Duffey took over and, in spite of hitting a batter to load the bases, came through big to get out of the jam, striking out two.
The offense ambushed reliever Ian Kennedy to break the game open. After Alex Avila and Kepler reached, the Royals chose to walk Rosario and face Marwin González with the bases loaded instead. Command wasn’t there for Kennedy, who walked Margo. Sanó stepped up and hit another rocket (106.6 MPH), which this time stayed in the park, but was enough to bring home a couple more runs.
https://twitter.com/fsnorth/status/1297347653878063104
Veteran lefty Danny Coulombe, whose contract was selected by the Twins after the recent IL moves, had a good outing. He pitched the final two innings of the game and did not allow a run. He did give up a hit and a walk in the bottom of the ninth, causing Sergio Romo to start warming up, but he finished it off and secured the win.
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
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Postgame Pint
Immediately following the Twins 7-2 win over the Royals, Nick Nelson, John Bonnes and Cody Pirkl were joined by a virtual crowd and attempted to identify the player of the game amid several worthy candidates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mZfAGpHIo4&feature=youtu.be
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