KC Royals lead Twins only briefly before dropping road opener. Here’s what happened
Ask any Major League Baseball manager and there is universal consensus about two-out walks.
They cannot happen. And, when they do, it tends to be costly.
Kansas City Royals starter Brady Singer felt the wrath of the dreaded two-out walk against the Minnesota Twins in an 8-3 loss Monday at Target Field. In the second inning, he walked Twins first baseman Carlos Santana with two outs and it led to a six-run frame.
“The first two outs were efficient, too, so it could’ve been a really quick inning,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “But it wasn’t and you’ve got to give them credit. They earned it after that.
“Santana knows the zone. He has walked a lot in his career. Then they follow up with a bunch of hits after that.”
The Twins blasted two home runs after the walk. Shortstop Willi Castro hit a three-run homer that gave Minnesota a 4-2 lead and third baseman Royce Lewis drilled a two-run shot a few batters later.
Minnesota improved to 66-52 while the Royals dropped to 65-54, 1.5 games behind the Twins for second place in the American League Central Division.
“Obviously, that’s the inning that kind of messed up the whole night,” Singer said. “We’d like to have that back. Got in a jam there and trying to get out of it, gave up two big hits there.”
Like the Royals, the Twins are chasing the division-leading Cleveland Guardians (70-49) in the AL Central. The Guardians defeated the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.
Singer, meanwhile, suffered his eighth loss of the season. He pitched five innings and struck out nine.
“He is obviously good at not chasing,” Singer said of Santana’s pivotal at-bat. “You know, (I) should’ve stayed in the zone a little bit more. Yeah, they kind of spiraled the whole inning there.”
Twins starter Pablo Lopez (11-8) allowed three runs in six innings. He surrendered a first-inning homer to Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. but then settled in to protect Minnesota’s lead in the middle innings.
Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel each recorded RBIs for the Royals. Isbel finished 3-for-4 and has eight hits in his last three games.
But the Royals have now lost six of their last eight games against the Twins.
“I just think every game is a serious game at this point,” Witt said of rebounding from Monday’s loss. “You’ve just got to go about it every day like we normally do.”
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Here are more notable aspects of Monday’s game:
MJ Melendez reels in highlight grab
Royals outfielder MJ Melendez continues to play well in left field. In the sixth inning, he robbed Twins second baseman Austin Martin of a extra bases.
Martin hit a 98.3 mph fastball off Royals reliever Carlos Hernandez toward the left-field wall. The fly ball chased Melendez to the warning track, but he never lost sight of it as he timed his jump.
Melendez reached up and snared the baseball in his glove. He lost his baseball cap as he came down but recorded the out.
“We’re so used to our ballpark, you know — that’s probably just a routine out (at Kauffman Stadium),” Quatraro said. “But he got back there and robbed a homer. It was beautiful.”
This season, Melendez ranks third among all left fielders with a 91.7 mph arm strength. He didn’t need it on Monday, instead showcasing his athleticism with a highlight-reel catch.
Bobby Witt Jr. plunked in 5th inning
Witt avoided a potential injury scare against the Twins. In his third at-bat, he was drilled by a 95.5 mph Lopez fastball.
“I think the loss hurts more than the hit by pitch,” Witt said after the game.
The baseball hit Witt near his left shoulder and forearm area. Witt grimaced in pain before walking to first base with Quatraro and members of the KC training staff.
After a few moments, Witt was deemed OK and remained in the game. He said he underwent some precautionary testing after the game and things checked out fine.
“Everything is good,” Witt said. “Just a bruise.”
What’s next on the KC Royals’ schedule?
The Royals continue their three-game series against the Twins at Target Field. On Tuesday, KC will send right-hander Seth Lugo to the mound.
Lugo is set to make his 25th start of the 2024 campaign. He owns a 2.37 ERA in 12 road outings and is tied with San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King with eight road victories this season.
The Twins are expected to start top prospect Zebby Matthews. It will be his major-league debut.
This story was originally published August 12, 2024 at 9:24 PM.
