Noah Cameron spins another pitching gem as KC Royals shut out Twins
Despite missing three veteran starters, the Royals can feel confident whenever left-handed rookie Noah Cameron steps to the mound.
Saturday was the latest example.
Cameron held the Twins scoreless in the Royals’ 2-0 victory at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He pitched 5 ⅔ innings while tossing 52 of 91 pitches for strikes.
“He executed some big pitches when he had to,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said postgame via FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City. “They have been doing a good job of putting the ball in play early in the count and some traffic on the bases. We have seen that before with him. He knows how to navigate his way around, and you have to have some good luck in there as well.”
In his 16th career start, Cameron allowed six hits, two walks and struck out four batters. He drew 39 swings and 10 whiffs, per Baseball Savant.
The Twins had a few chances to score early. However, Cameron made the necessary pitches to keep them at bay. In the third inning, Cameron forced Twins third baseman Royce Lewis to roll into a double play to end the frame.
Cameron later stranded a leadoff walk in the fourth. He retired three consecutive Twins as first baseman Mickey Gasper popped out to second base.
“Just got myself in bad situations tonight and thankfully they didn’t capitalize on anything,” Cameron said during his postgame interview via FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City. “Definitely can’t do that every time out. It’s definitely one of those nights where I threw some really good pitches in really big situations and thankfully got out of it.”
The Twins finished 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Cameron has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 12 of his 16 starts. He leads American League rookie pitchers in multiple categories, including ERA, innings pitched and opponents’ average.
“His confidence and calm emotions,” Royals outfielder Kyle Isbel said postgame via FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City. “He just attacks hitters and mixes it everywhere in the zone. It’s fun to watch.”
The Royals made two runs hold up on Saturday.
Isbel and Maikel Garcia came through in the third inning. Isbel, who is hitting .462 on the road trip, laced a two-out single. He later came around to score after Garcia hit an RBI double toward the right-field gap.
“Just get on base,” Isbel said. “It doesn’t change regardless of the situation. I’m trying to get on base every time.”
And in the ninth, Jonathan India provided a crucial insurance run with an RBI single. India finished 1-for-4 and has four RBIs in his last three games.
The Royals’ bullpen helped piece together the shutout. Royals relievers Angel Zerpa, Hunter Harvey, Lucas Erceg and Carlos Estévez didn’t allow a late run.
Harvey worked around two hits and Erceg produced the first clean inning of relief. Estévez shut the door for his 29th save.
“We have versatility out there and we have guys that can get righties and lefties out,” Quatraro said. “... It’s really a deep ‘pen and when we can get to those guys, we feel good.”
The Royals (58-59) evened the weekend series against the Twins. They also remained four games behind the New York Yankees (62-55) for the final spot in the AL Wild Card standings.
“It’s been a good trip for sure,” Isbel said. “I think there have been some ups and downs, obviously, but we are going to keep rolling and keep playing hard every night.”
What’s next: The Royals conclude their three-game series on Sunday. Ryan Bergert (1-1, 2.83 ERA) will make his second start with the club. He allowed two earned runs in 5 ⅔ innings against the Boston Red Sox in his KC debut.
This story was originally published August 9, 2025 at 8:51 PM.
