Royals 8, Twins 6: It was Like Tug-of-War Between Two Pigs in the Mud

Box Score
SP: Andrew Morris - 2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K (48 pitches, 32 strikes (67% strikes))
Home Runs: Byron Buxton, Kody Clemens (2), Victor Caratini
Bottom 3 WPA: Anthony Banda (-0.39), Brooks Lee (-0.19), Justin Lawrence (-0.19)

Win Probability Chart (vis Baseball Savant)

The Twins opened a four-game series against the Royals on Thursday night, looking to build some momentum after taking two of three from the White Sox earlier in the week. Instead, a game filled with lead changes, defensive miscues, and missed opportunities slipped away late. Minnesota erased multiple deficits and got big offensive performances from Kody Clemens and Victor Caratini, but a disastrous ninth inning proved too much to overcome in an 8-6 loss to Kansas City at Target Field.

The defeat dropped the Twins to 29-35 on the season.

CLEMENS AND CARATINI KEEP THE TWINS IN THE FIGHT
After Andrew Morris allowed a first-inning sacrifice fly by Salvador Perez to give the Royals a 1-0 lead, Byron Buxton immediately tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. Buxton crushed a Seth Lugo sinker 430 feet into the Twins bullpen for his 18th home run of the season, continuing what has been one of the best offensive stretches of his career.

Minnesota answered again in the second after Kansas City reclaimed the lead. Victor Caratini lined a double to straightaway center field that scored Luke Keaschall and tied the game at 2-2.

The offense continued to deliver throughout the middle innings. Kody Clemens gave the Twins their first lead of the night in the third, when he launched a first-pitch curveball over the scoreboard in right-center field. The 414-foot blast was his seventh home run of the season and made him the first left-handed hitter to homer off Lugo all year.

After Michael Massey tied the game with a solo homer in the fourth, Minnesota answered once again. Trevor Larnach singled to open the inning and eventually scored when Ryan Kreidler ripped a triple into the left-center field gap, putting the Twins back on top 4-3.

Clemens wasn't finished. Leading off the fifth inning with two outs, he turned on a down-and-in sweeper and launched his second homer of the night into the right-field seats. His eighth home run of the season extended Minnesota's lead to 5-3 and gave the Twins some much-needed breathing room.

When that lead disappeared an inning later, Caratini stepped up with another huge swing. Following an hour-long rain delay, the veteran catcher turned on a 95-MPH fastball and drove it into the right-field seats for a game-tying home run that evened the score at 6-6. By the end of the sixth inning, Minnesota had already erased deficits three separate times.

DEFENSIVE MISTAKES TURN THE GAME AROUND
While the offense consistently responded, the Twins repeatedly undermined themselves defensively. Morris battled through a difficult opening two innings, in what was essentially a bullpen game. The rookie flashed electric velocity, touching 100.1 MPH for the second consecutive appearance, but needed 48 pitches to complete two innings and allowed two runs.

Mike Paredes provided exactly what Minnesota needed after that. The right-hander retired the first six hitters he faced and cruised through three scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth. Even then, it appeared the Twins were in position to escape the inning relatively unscathed.

Instead, everything unraveled. With two runners aboard and two outs, Anthony Banda entered to face Carter Jensen. Jensen ripped a double down the left-field line that scored two runs and tied the game. Moments later, Bobby Witt Jr. hit a routine pop-up behind second base that should have ended the inning. Neither Luke Keaschall nor Ryan Kreidler took charge of the play. The ball dropped untouched between them, allowing Jensen to score all the way from second and giving Kansas City a 6-5 lead.

It was another frustrating defensive sequence for a team that entered the night coming off a three-error performance the day before. Minnesota was charged with multiple errors again Thursday, and several other miscues that didn't officially go into the scorebook proved equally costly. Those mistakes ultimately erased much of the excellent work provided by Paredes, who allowed just one earned run across 3 2/3 innings while keeping one of baseball's weakest offenses largely in check.

THE ROYALS CAPITALIZE LATE
After Caratini's game-tying homer in the sixth, both bullpens settled things down. Eric Orze worked around traffic in the seventh inning, while Yoendrys Gómez and Taylor Rogers combined to navigate the eighth. Minnesota had a chance to grab the lead in the bottom of the seventh after Buxton reached on an infield single, but the Twins couldn't push him home.

That set the stage for the decisive ninth inning. Perez and Lane Thomas opened the frame with back-to-back singles against Rogers, forcing Minnesota to go back to the bullpen. Newly acquired Justin Lawrence entered with one out and immediately found himself in trouble.

After a walk loaded the bases, Josh Rojas delivered a two-run single to center field that gave Kansas City an 8-6 advantage. Lawrence struggled to find the strike zone throughout the inning, throwing just 10 strikes among his 24 pitches, though he did eventually escape further damage by striking out both Jensen and Witt.

Minnesota still had one final opportunity in the bottom of the ninth. Caratini opened the inning with a single, and Buxton later worked an eight-pitch walk to put the tying run aboard with two outs. That brought Brooks Lee to the plate. Lee has delivered in several big situations this season, but this time, he couldn't come through. The young infielder sharply grounded out to end the game, sealing another frustrating loss for a Twins team that spent most of the night battling back.

In a game that featured four ties and multiple lead changes, it was ultimately defensive mistakes and a rough ninth inning that made the difference. After fighting their way back time and time again, the Twins simply couldn't complete one final comeback.

What’s Next?
The Twins and Royals are back at it tomorrow night for game two of the series. First pitch is set for 7:15 PM on Apple TV. Zebby Matthews will take the hill for the Twins, and it’ll be veteran right-hander Michael Wacha for Kansas City.

Postgame Interviews
Coming Soon!

Bullpen Availability Chart