Home runs by Salvador Perez, Hunter Dozier lead Kansas City Royals to win over Twins
The Kansas City Royals hit five home runs through the first eight games of the season, and their offense had scuffled enough to necessitate a slight lineup reconfiguration.
So of course, the Royals responded with three home runs and rallied to beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 in the first game of a three-game series in front of an announced crowd of 10,003 humans and 257 dogs on Bark at the Park night at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals improved to 4-5 with the victory.
Salvador Perez crushed two home runs for his second multi-homer game of the season — the first coming a week prior in St. Louis — and his 14th career multi-homer game. His second blast tied the score in the sixth inning.
In that same inning, Hunter Dozier mashed his second home run of the season to give the Royals their first lead of the day. That was the second consecutive game Dozier hit a homer that drove in the winning run.
“Anytime you can get some go-ahead home runs, it feels good and helps,” Dozier said. “I’ve been saying, we have a lot of confidence in our offense. It’s only a matter of time before we really break out. The last couple games, we’ve been finding ways to win, and that’s what you’ve got to do.”
Nicky Lopez, who moved up to the No. 2 spot in the Royals’ batting lineup for the first time this season, went 2 for 3 with two double, a walk and an RBI. Andrew Benintendi also had two hits (2 for 4).
Royals starting pitcher Carlos Hernández allowed three runs on eight hits and one walk in 4 1/3 innings.
The Royals bullpen, including Amir Garrett (1 2/3 innings), Jake Brentz (2/3 of and inning), Collin Snider (1/3), Scott Barlow (1 inning) and Josh Staumont (1 inning, save) held the Twins scoreless for the final 4 2/3 innings. Staumont recorded his second save of the season.
Royals relievers extended their scoreless streak to 13 1/3 innings, dating back to the eighth inning last Thursday night’s game.
“I know this group, we like to compete,” Perez said. “We’re going to do the best we can do. We’re going to go through bad moments, good moments. Hopefully, the good moments stay for more time with us. You guys saw what happened tonight. We competed to the last out.”
The Twins (4-7) appeared poised to grab an early lead in the third when Gary Sanchez belted a leadoff double on the ground into the left-field corner. The next batter, Ryan Jeffers, singled to center field and Sanchez attempted to score from second on the play.
However, Royals center fielder Michael A. Taylor charged the ball and made an outstanding one-hop throw to the plate to cut down Sanchez by a split second. Replay review confirmed the “out” call.
The Twins had three hits in the inning but were held scoreless in large part due to Taylor’s play. Taylor won the AL Gold Glove last season.
The Twins’ breakthrough came the next inning when Nick Gordon smashed a one-out triple to right-center field. The next batter, Gio Urshela, slapped an RBI single through the right side of an infield that was playing in. That gave the Twins a 1-0 edge. Two batters later, Sanchez roped an RBI double to right-center that gave his club a 2-0 lead.
Both the triple and the double were on balls that right fielder Whit Merrifield ranged to get to but couldn’t haul in while on the run along the warning track.
Perez’s third home run of the season cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth. Perez smashed a first-pitch slider from Twins starter Chris Archer over the left-field wall for a solo homer.
The Twins’ Carlos Correa’s RBI single in the fifth inning drove in Luis Arraez, who had a leadoff double, and marked the end of the outing for Hernández. The Twins led 3-1 going into the bottom of the fifth.
The Royals pulled within a run in the fifth after singles by Taylor and Cam Gallagher followed by a Merrifield walk. Lopez then drew a bases-loaded walk on a full count that forced in a run.
With the Royals trailing by a run and the bases loaded with one out, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli called upon right-hander Joe Smith. Smith got Bobby Witt Jr/ to ground into an inning-ending double play that left the Royals trailing 3-2.
Perez’s second homer of the night, a 388-foot rocket to left-center field, tied the score 3-3. Two batters later, after Andrew Benintendi had been thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double, Dozier jumped all over a first-pitch curveball from reliever Tyler Duffey for the go-ahead homer.
The Royals’ bullpen shut it down from there.
“Just some really good at-bats all the way around,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “Some really good defense. The play with Michael, you’re looking at an inning turning around right there with three straight hits. What a great throw, great tag with Cam at the plate. And the bullpen was fantastic.”
The teams are scheduled to continue their series on Wednesday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Twins right-hander Chris Paddock (0-1, 6.75) is scheduled to start opposite of Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch (1-0, 10.80).
This story was originally published April 19, 2022 at 10:26 PM.
