The Minnesota Twins almost wasted a great scoring opportunity, but Trevor Larnach got in the way of a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run in the Twins’ 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon.
The Twins also benefited from a triple play, the first the Royals have hit into since 2012.
Luke Farrell (1-0) picked up the win with an inning of scoreless relief. Twins starter Bailey Ober lasted four innings. Taylor Rogers worked around trouble to earn his fifth save in seven chances as Minnesota gained a split of the four-game series.
Brady Singer (3-5) took the loss despite giving up just two runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked three.
The Twins got a run on three hits in the third inning, but they could have had more. Andrelton Simmons had a one-out infield single. With two outs, Alex Kirilloff stroked a single to left. Miguel Sano followed with a double down the left-field line, just the second extra-base hit allowed by Singer to a right-handed hitter this season.
But Kirilloff rounded third and Andrew Benintendi’s throw to Kelvin Gutierrez caught him off the base.
The Royals had their own baserunning problems in the bottom of the third as the Twins recorded the triple play. Jarrod Dyson and Cam Gallagher singled leading off the inning. Nicky Lopez attempted a sacrifice bunt but got the ball in the air. Sano caught it and threw to Simmons at second to double off Dyson, and Simmons threw to first to eliminate Gallagher.
The Royals didn’t waste their next chance. Whit Merrifield tripled under the glove of Kirilloff leading off the fourth. Benintendi singled up the middle to drive in Merrifield with the tying run.
The Twins loaded the bases in the fifth with no outs on a walk and two infield singles. Singer almost got out of it, striking out Kirilloff and Sano. But he hit Larnach with a pitch, sending home the go-ahead run.
–Field Level Media