MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jhoan Duran's wild pitch allowed Edward Olivares to score the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning, and the Kansas City Royals ended a nine-game losing streak at Target Field with a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.
Olivares doubled twice and walked on four pitches from Duran (0-1) leading off the ninth. Olivares stole second, and Michael Massey walked for the first time in 81 plate appearances this season when Duran committed a pitch-clock violation with a full count.
Nicky Lopez sacrificed and Duran bounced a 1-0 curveball off the mitt of catcher Ryan Jeffers, the ball bouncing to the warning track in front of the first-base dugout.
Kansas City (7-21) won for just the third time in 15 games as Scott Barlow hung on for his fourth save. Carlos Correa and Jorge Polanco singled with one out, Byron Buxton took a called third strike and Trevor Larnach hit a game-ending comebacker. The Royals had not won at Minnesota since last May 28.
Minnesota went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners, matching its season high. The AL Central-leading Twins had won five of their previous six games.
José Caus, Taylor Clarke, Aroldis Chapman (1-1) and Barlow allowed one run over the final 3 2/3 innings, a day after the bullpen gave up one hit in four innings. In its past seven games, Royals relievers have allowed five earned runs in 25 innings.
Chapman got his first win with the Royals.
Polanco thought he hit a line drive home run in the first inning and, with the crowd cheering, started a home run trot. However, the ball ricocheted off the top of the wall near the right field foul pole and right fielder Nick Pratto threw to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who tagged a shocked Polanco as he got to second base. A video review showed the ball missed clearing the wall by inches.
Buxton homered in the seventh off Clarke for a 2-1 lead, a ball that skipped off the top of the left-field wall, caromed off a short fence just past the flower bed and back onto the field. Buxton stopped at second base, but after a brief huddle by the umpires, a home run was signaled.
Brad Keller's wild pitch allowed Minnesota to score its first run in the fourth, Lopez had a tying RBI single in the fifth and Salvador Perez had a tying RBI single in the eighth.
Keller gave up one run, five hits in 5 1/3 innings, threw a pair of wild pitches and walked five, one shy of his career high. He has 16 walks over 13 1/3 innings in his last three starts.
Bailey Ober, recalled from Triple-A St. Paul and taking the slot of injured Kenta Maeda, allowed one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks.
UP NEXT
Minnesota RHP Sonny Gray (3-0, 0.62) looks to extend his strong start in Sunday’s series finale. Kansas City plans to start RHP Brady Singer (2-2, 6.67).