A Royals newcomer helped seal Thursday’s series-opening win at Minnesota Twins
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- Josh Rojas, recalled from Triple-A Omaha, hit the go-ahead two‑run single in the ninth.
- Alex Lange recorded his second consecutive save as the Royals beat the Twins 8‑6.
- Play was halted for one hour and seven minutes by thunderstorms after the sixth inning.
The Kansas City Royals found a way to weather the storm — both figuratively and literally — in Thursday’s 8-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
Major-league veteran Josh Rojas, a 31-year-old Royals newcomer, led the way.
Selected from Triple-A Omaha ahead of Thursday evening’s series opener, Rojas hit the go-ahead two-run single in the ninth inning. He roped a 95.3 mph sinker off Twins right-hander Justin Lawrence to break a 6-6 tie.
“It was an adventurous day for sure, but I mean, I wouldn’t change it,” Rojas said. “I’m in the big leagues and it was a lot of fun today. Got a couple RBIs, we won the game and yeah, it’s been fun.”
The Royals took advantage of two walks in the final inning. They kept the line moving and that set up Rojas to come through with the biggest hit of the night.
After surging ahead, the Royals held on in the bottom half of the ninth. Alex Lange recorded his second consecutive save as KC improved to 25-38.
“It’s not just going to be one person,” Royals catcher Carter Jensen said. “It’s going to be everybody on the team. I think the biggest thing is just keep the line moving, kind of what we did tonight.”
Minnesota dropped to 29-35 and has lost three of four to the Royals this season.
A sixth-inning surge
In the sixth inning, the Royals were in the midst of a late rally ... and then ominous dark clouds rolled over the stadium.
Kansas City trailed 5-3 and Twins lefty Anthony Banda was attempting to navigate out of a potential jam. He wasn’t so lucky. The Royals scored three runs to retake the lead.
Isaac Collins began the inning with a leadoff walk. He moved to second on Kyle Isbel’s two-out single and that flipped over the lineup card.
Jensen followed by lacing a two-run double down the left-field line. Collins scored and Isbel did, too, after an aggressive send by Royals third-base coach Vance Wilson.
Isbel slid in just before Twins catcher Victor Caratini could apply the tag. It was Jensen’s first hit of the game from the leadoff spot.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was next up and he reached with an error: Twins infielders Ryan Kreidler and Luke Keaschall nearly collided behind second base. They were going for Witt’s popup and failed to call each other off.
As a result, the ball dropped in front of them, allowing Jensen to score and give the Royals a one-run lead — right before the actual rain showers hit.
At the end of the inning, the Twins’ grounds crew put the tarp over the field. A round of intense thunderstorms halted play for one hour, seven minutes.
“That was a huge inning for us because they weren’t going away,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I mean, they scored in the first six innings and you’ve got to give them credit for that.”
When the action resumed, the Royals had to overcome a second wave of the Twins’ offense. It started when Caratini hit a solo home run off Royals right-hander John Schreiber.
Caratini belted a 95.1 mph fastball over the right-field wall. It was the fourth homer — all solo shots — allowed by KC in the game.
The score remained tied until the final inning. Rojas came through in the ninth to propel the Royals to their third victory in four games.
Seth Lugo pitches uneven start
Royals right-handed starter Seth Lugo didn’t have his best command Thursday.
In the first inning, Twins star Byron Buxton greeted Lugo with a leadoff home run — after the Royals’ offense had handed him an early lead.
Buxton hammered a 92.3 mph sinker Lugo left hanging over the middle of the plate. It was his 18th homer of the year.
“He wasn’t as sharp as he normally is with command,” Quatraro said. “They made him work. They laid off some tough pitches below the (strike) zone.”
Lugo surrendered three homers Thursday. Twins first baseman Kody Clemens hit two of them and also made a couple of big defensive plays — a diving stop to rob Witt in the second inning and retiring Salvador Perez in foul territory in the third.
The Twins had a response for every rally the Royals mounted — except for the final inning. Lugo went five innings but didn’t have a clean one: He allowed six hits and five runs and struck out four batters.
“I felt like I was pretty aggressive in the zone,” Lugo said. “I made a couple of mistakes that got hit hard, but we had a game plan going in.”
Per Baseball Savant, Lugo recorded 48 swings and 11 whiffs. His curveball was hit hard, as it generated four of 17 total batted-ball events.
“I’m kind of onto something about pitching here at Target Field,” Lugo said. “I feel like my last three starts here, I feel good. The pitches come out of my hand the way I want ... and they don’t get to the right spot.
“So I’m kind of onto something and going to do some digging in and, you know, have better results next time I come here.”
What’s next: Royals right-hander Michael Wacha (4-3, 3.23 ERA) will start Friday night’s game against Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews (1-3, 4.63 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. Central Time at Target Field.
This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 11:07 PM.
