Lorenzo Cain slides home as Royals rally to beat Twins 3-2 in 10 innings

Dusty Coleman has a lot of people to thank Friday after his major-league debut during the Royals’ 3-2, 10-inning victory over the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium.

Coleman couldn’t score from third base when he hesitated with one out in the ninth inning, but he can thank Wade Davis, who continued a remarkable season with a perfect 10th inning that gave the Royals’ scuffling offense another chance. His ERA is 0.26.

Coleman can thank Lorenzo Cain, whose leadoff double in bottom of the 10th set the stage for the win.

He can thank Aaron Thompson, whose wild pitch allowed Cain to advance to third.

Or he can thank Jarrod Dyson, whose chopper to first base produced the game-winning run when Cain slid under catcher Kurt Suzuki’s tag.

“I was going on contact, but when he hit it into the ground I kind of hesitated for a second and then I took off …,” Cain said. “I was going head first, sliding to the outside regardless, trying to stay as far away from the catcher.”

The play was reviewed, the raucous crowd started a “Let’s go Royals” chant as officials in New York mulled the video.

“I definitely knew I was safe,” Cain said.

When Gary Cederstrom agreed, confirming the call on the field, the roar from the season’s 12th sellout must have been music to Coleman’s ears as the Royals celebrated the season’s first walk-off win.

“I went over to Lorenzo and Dyson when they came in and told them thanks for winning it for us,” Coleman said. “That obviously helps. It’s all about getting the W. Everybody in here has been real nice saying, ‘It happens’ and ‘Go get em next time.’ That’s what I’m going to do … (but) I wanted to go hug them as fast as I could.”

Coleman’s first day on a big-league roster was set up to be a feel-good story. A journeyman, who toiled for seven seasons in the minor leagues, grinds his way up the ranks, overcomes injuries and lapses in confidence only to deliver a win on his first day as a big leaguer.

Coleman — who was called up before Friday’s 3-2, 10-inning victory against the Twins at Kauffman Stadium — stood at third base with one away in the bottom of the ninth, carrying with him the potential winning run in a stirring comeback against the Twins.

It all went awry 45 feet from home plate.

“He just hesitated just a second,” manager Ned Yost said. “In that situation, we’re trying to be aggressive, we’re trying to make the fielder make the play. The throw was up the line and I think he just glanced and he couldn’t really tell that the ball was up the line quite a bit and just hesitated enough to get in trouble.”

The mob of 38,868 eager for some pre-Independence Day fireworks roared as Mike Moustakas lifted a shallow fly to right-center.

Aaron Hicks, who had shifted from center field into the gap with the Twins deploying a five-man infield, settled under the ball and uncorked an off-target throw to the first-base side as Coleman tagged and started down the line.

Halfway to the plate, Coleman stopped and retreated to third base, getting caught up in what turned into an inning-ending, buzz-killing 8-2-3 putout.

“(I) thought I was going to be dead to rights right there …,” Coleman said. “I kind of shut it down when I should have kept going and forced the situation. … It was my fault. I should have been full speed, making them make the tag at home. … In that situation — ninth inning, winning run — you’ve got to put the pressure on them and make them make the play. Unfortunately, I just didn’t do that.”

Coleman’s teammates were in a forgiving mood after snapping a four-game losing streak.

As Coleman apologized to Moustakas in the clubhouse after the game, the Royals’ third baseman, grinning ear to ear, told him not to worry about it, “We won, right?”

“Things like that happen,” said Cain, who collected three hits and scored two runs. “I’m sure he was nervous. It was a big moment in the ballgame, but we continued to stick together regardless. We picked him up; we picked each other up at the end there, so it was huge.”

Minnesota drew first blood Miguel Sano delivered his first career RBI with a second-inning single.

He scored to restore a 2-1 lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Hicks.

In between, Cain knotted the game with third-inning RBI single.

Otherwise, the Royals had been handcuffed once again at the plate.

Twins left-hander Tommy Milone did the honors this time, mixing an upper-80s fastball and low-70s curveball that befuddled the Royals for six innings.

Fortunately for the Royals, Jeremy Guthrie continued to rebound from his Memorial Day meltdown at Yankee Stadium. He pitched 7 1/3 gutsy innings in settling for a no decision.

He avoided a loss when Kendrys Morales plated Cain by flaring an eighth-inning RBI single to shallow left.

“We definitely needed this win,” Cain said. “We’d lost four in a row and it was definitely tough to go through, but at the same time we’ve continued to fight. Like I say, we find a way to get it done in the 10th.”

Royals 3, Twins 2, 10 inn.

This story was originally published July 3, 2015 at 10:45 PM with the headline "Lorenzo Cain slides home as Royals rally to beat Twins 3-2 in 10 innings."