How Royals fought through rain, fog for unlikely offensive eruption vs. Twins
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals scored early and won 13-5; Joe Ryan allowed five runs in 4 IP.
- Noah Cameron allowed one run in five innings; KC starters 6 ER in 27⅓ IP.
- Jonathan India hit a grand slam; Royals improved to 3-2 and lead AL Central.
Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan has some history with the Kansas City Royals.
Ryan had posted an 8-1 record with a 2.02 ERA in 11 career starts against the Royals. And individually, the numbers were staggering.
Bobby Witt Jr. entered Wednesday’s action hitting .222 (6-for-27) against Ryan. Salvador Perez owned a .227 batting average and Kyle Isbel was 1-for-17 versus the Twins star.
Ryan had allowed two runs or fewer in 10 of his 11 starts. He had the Royals’ number — especially at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals got a measure of revenge Wednesday, scoring early and often in a 13-9 victory over the Twins in some rainy, foggy conditions.
“It was kind of a whirlwind of everything, really,” Isbel said. “We got fog, rain and it was windy. Probably the worst elements I’ve played in. It was pretty crazy.”
It didn’t slow KC down.
In the second inning, the Royals scored three runs. Jac Caglianone got aboard and later scored on Isaac Collins’ RBI double with two outs. Next, Isbel recorded an RBI single to snap his offensive slump against Ryan.
Isbel finished with four hits, including a solo homer, with a stolen base. He is now hitting .571 (8-for-14) to begin the 2026 campaign.
“Izzy is off to a good start swinging the bat well,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
Ryan was charged with five runs. He allowed nine hits and recorded three strikeouts in four innings. It was also his second time surrendering five runs at Kauffman Stadium.
Royals starter Noah Cameron fared better. He dodged steady rainfall and limited the Twins to one run across five innings.
Cameron allowed four hits and struck out five batters. He was aggressive with his fastball and cutter early in counts.
“You’ve just got to go with what you got,” Cameron said. “The fourth and fifth inning, we were just throwing a lot of fastballs. Obviously, it was hard to see. The hitters, it was obviously hard to see for them as well. So we just started throwing fastballs. It was kind of the only thing I could keep over the plate.
“But yeah, you just try to get out of it alive. And obviously, kind of turned into a mess there, just for both teams.”
The Twins didn’t get a runner to second base until the fourth inning. An inning later, Minnesota scored its first run as Brooks Lee recorded an RBI single. The Twins scored three runs in the seventh inning and made it a game late, thanks to a three-run homer in the ninth.
While not a quality start, Cameron continued a string of dominant pitching performances from the starting rotation. Royals starters have allowed six earned runs in 27 ⅓ innings through five games.
The Royals improved to 3-2. They have won three consecutive games and sit atop the American League Central.
Royals’ offense explodes in 6th inning
The Royals entered Wednesday night with nine runs scored this season. And they nearly matched the offensive output in the sixth.
Jonathan India provided a significant blow with a grand slam. It was the fifth of his career and his first since June 5, 2024, against the Colorado Rockies.
India belted a 90.7 mph sinker into the left-field seats. The homer was his third hit of the 2026 campaign after recording an RBI single in the third inning.
“It felt good, man,” India said. “You know, I felt like my swing was clicking tonight. But the elements were affecting a lot. It felt good, though.”
The Royals sent 11 men to the plate in the frame. Caglianone, who finished 3-for-3 on the night, reached base twice in the inning.
“At the plate, there weren’t any visual effects, I guess,” Caglianone said of the playing conditions. “But, in the outfield, it was definitely challenging, for sure. And some of the balls down the right-field line were hard to pick up, but we battled through it and came out with the win.”
Witt also recorded an RBI, his second of the season, in the sixth. He joined Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino in the scoring column.
The Royals set a season-high mark with seven runs in the frame.
What’s next: The Royals will go for the sweep on Thursday afternoon. Cole Ragans, who started on opening day, will make his second appearance of the 2026 season.
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 10:30 PM.
