How the KC Royals snapped a 3-game losing streak against AL Central-rival Twins
The Kansas City Royals needed to snap a three-game losing streak.
So they broke out the big lumber against the Minnesota Twins and proceeded to wreak havoc at Target Field on Wednesday night. The Royals hit three home runs in a 6-1 victory over their American League Central rivals.
The Royals improved to 35-22 and earned their 14th road win of the 2024 campaign.
Nelson Velázquez and Salvador Perez did the heavy lifting for Kansas City. Both launched solo home runs off Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober in the fifth inning.
The fifth-inning shot was the second of the game for Velázquez, who’d also belted one out in the third.
“I think I’m trying to be back to what I was doing last year,” Velázquez said after hitting his fourth and fifth homers in 11 games. “I think that is something that is helping me right now.”
Perez, meanwhile, became the first Royal to reach 10 home runs this season.
The power supply aided Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo. The veteran right-hander allowed one earned run in six innings. He evaded a few troublesome spots and did enough to earn his ninth win of the season.
“I’d say I had to battle,” Lugo said. “They got a bunch of good hitters in the lineup so I couldn’t really get to a part where I could just cruise. You know, they made me work out there and they put together a lot of good at-bats. Being able to get six after that, and the (win), feels great.”
Lugo surrendered his lone run in the second inning. Third baseman Jose Miranda recorded a sacrifice fly as Minnesota took a 1-0 lead.
Lugo made a quick adjustment, however. He tossed a seven-pitch third inning after the Royals took a 4-1 lead. Later, he worked around two fifth-inning baserunners.
“After all those runs, you know, I only had one thought in mind,” Lugo said. “That was to get early contact and get through the inning as fast as possible.”
Lugo allowed six hits, three walks and struck out five. He now sports an American League-leading 1.72 earned-run average.
KC scored all six of its Wednesday evening runs against Ober. He has allowed 14 earned runs in two starts against the Royals this season.
The teams will be back in action Thursday afternoon. The Royals will look to split the four-game series with right-hander Brady Singer on the mound.
“It’s super big,” Perez said. “Every time we win, it’s good for everybody, especially after the last three games.”
Missed previous games of the series?
Game 1: Royals attempted comeback falls short in 6-5 loss to Twins
Game 2: KC Royals drop third consecutive game as Twins silence offense
Here are more notable aspects of Wednesday’s game:
Royals’ offense regains form
The Royals collected nine hits against the Twins Wednesday. Velázquez powered the offensive attack with a pair of home runs.
Multiple other Royals contributed. Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. joined Perez and Velázquez in propelling the offense. In the third inning, Witt recorded an RBI single that scored outfielder Kyle Isbel for KC’s first run.
It was Witt’s 37th RBI of the season and he finished 2-for-4 in the game.
“The at-bats against Ober were good,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I think early on, you could tell we had an approach and we were trying to get certain pitches that we were looking for. Some of them we didn’t miss.”
Perez added an RBI double and the Royals also got production from Hunter Renfroe and Nick Loftin. Both collected early singles off Ober.
Isbel also added two hits, including a ninth-inning double off Twins reliever Cole Sands.
“When you drive the ball out of the park, you get instant offense, you get instant runs on the board and you get out to a lead,” Quatraro said. “It really helps.”
Salvador Perez climbs Royals’ leaderboard
Perez continues to enjoy a stellar season at the plate. In the fifth inning, he drilled a 431-foot solo homer off Ober.
It was Perez’s 10th home run of the year and moved him closer to rewriting more Royals history.
This is Perez’s 12th season with at least 10 home runs. He had been tied with Royals Hall of Famer Amos Otis at 11. Now he trails only George Brett — who had 15 seasons with 10 or more homers during his illustrious career — on the club’s all-time list.
This season, Perez leads the AL with a .325 batting average. His 41 RBIs and .927 OPS (on-base plus slugging) rank first among catchers across the majors.
What’s next on the KC Royals’ schedule?
The Royals conclude their four-game series against the Twins. Royals right-hander Brady Singer will start Thursday’s matinee game at Target Field.
Singer will be looking for his fifth win of the season. He has a 2.63 ERA and tossed seven scoreless innings against the Twins on March 31.
The Twins will start veteran right-hander Chris Paddack. He is 4-2 with a 4.39 ERA in 10 starts this season.
This story was originally published May 29, 2024 at 9:08 PM.
