The Kansas City Royals had this one in hand for most of the night, then watched it slip away in an ugly eighth inning as the Minnesota Twins rallied for a 4-3 win Thursday.
The loss snapped Minnesota’s four-game skid and pulled the Twins to within a half-game of the final American League Wild Card spot. For Kansas City, it was another frustrating finish, dropping the Royals back to 20 games under .500.
Kansas City opened the scoring in the third after two outs. Carter Jensen and Bobby Witt Jr. both singled, Witt swiped second for his 31st steal of the season, and Jac Caglianone lined an 0-2 pitch into right field to bring both runners home.
Michael Wacha gave the Royals 5 2/3 innings and mostly kept Minnesota under wraps, even if it wasn’t his sharpest outing. Royce Lewis got him for a homer in the fifth, but Wacha otherwise allowed just three hits.
The Twins made him work all night, running up long at-bats and forcing him into 3 walks against just 1 strikeout, which came against the first hitter of the game. He exited with Kansas City ahead 2-1 and Lewis due up again.
Jose Cuas handled that matchup, winning a 12-pitch duel to retire Lewis. Cuas and Alex Lange combined for 24 pitches over the seventh and got the Royals through that stretch without allowing a run, with Lange striking out Tristan Gray swinging after a two-out walk.
Witt kept rolling in the sixth, pushing the lead back to two runs with another RBI hit. He finished 3-for-4 with a double, two runs, and a stolen base. Since coming off the Injured List, Witt is 6-for-12 with two doubles, three runs, a stolen base, and two RBIs.
Then came the inning that turned everything.
Aaron Bummer entered in the eighth as Kansas City’s fourth pitcher and got Austin Martin on a groundball to start the frame. After that, the trouble piled up fast: Luke Keaschall singled, Ryan Jeffers walked as a pinch-hitter, and Josh Bell drove in a run with a single to cut the Royals’ lead to 3-2. Bummer departed with one out and runners on first and third.
Nate Pearson took over and immediately hit Lewis to load the bases. Brooks Lee followed with a two-run single to right, flipping the game and putting Minnesota in front 4-3. The Royals’ own mistakes helped make the damage stick.
In the ninth, Salvador Perez started things with a walk, and Tyler Tolbert came on to run for him with Michael Massey at the plate. Tolbert appeared to take second on a pitch that Massey fouled off, but after returning to first he was picked off without much resistance, and Kansas City didn’t even challenge the call.
Massey then struck out swinging, and Isaac Collins ended it by watching strike three catch the corner. He challenged the call, but it was confirmed.
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