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Twins and Royals split Sunday’s doubleheader

By Collin Kottke

May 19, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano (22) throws to first base for the out during the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
May 19, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano (22) throws to first base for the out during the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Minnesota Twins played their second double-header in less than a week at Target Field. Minnesota again split their double-header by losing the first game and winning the second.

The Minnesota Twins came into Sunday undefeated against the Kansas City Royals on the season. That didn’t last long.

Game One

Phil Hughes is struggling in 2017. The Fox Sports North broadcast was mentioning Hughes having to reinvent himself and it may need to be tweaked even more for the former New York Yankee. Hughes only lasted four innings on a day that the Twins were desperate for a good outing from the starter. Hughes gave up five runs, all via the home run, in the short outing.

Salvador Perez started the home run fest for the Royals with a two-run shot in the second inning. Jorge Bonifacio hit a two-run homer himself in the fourth. Designated hitter Brandon Moss followed it up completing a back-to-back homer sequence for Kansas City.

The Twins tried to make a comeback, but didn’t quite make it all the way back. Brian Dozier and Miguel Sano both hit RBI singles in the fifth inning. Sano came back in the seventh inning with a two-RBI double, but that’s all the scoring Minnesota would manage.

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Moss would give the Royals an insurance run on a 434-foot solo shot to right off of Adam Wilk.

Wilk was a little bit of a surprise reliever for the Twins. It was thought that Wilk might get a start in the rotation soon with the mess Mother Nature has made the Twins’ schedule. Instead, Wilk gave a very solid relief appearance by only allowing the one run on the Moss homer. Otherwise, Wilk only gave up five hits and three walks in 3.2 innings of relief work.

It was a short start for Royals starter Jake Junis, as well. He only lasted 4.2 innings, but the Royals bullpen backed him up by only allowing two runs, something Kansas City has not been able to do often against the Twins this season.

Final score: 6-4, Royals win.

Game Two

The start the Twins were looking for from Hughes in game one was instead found via the arm of Adalberto Mejia in game two. Mejia went seven innings for the Twins in his return to the rotation and allowed only three runs, via two home runs.

Kansas City got off to a hot start when Perez kicked off the home run parade once again with a two-run homer in the first.

Minnesota would answer with some long balls of their own. Robbie Grossman tied the ballgame up with a two-run shot in the bottom of the first. Two batters later, Max Kepler also hit a two-run home run resulting in a 4-2 Twins lead. Brian Dozier would notch an RBI double in the second inning before Kansas City would respond.

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    • Perez did it again. Perez hit his third home run of the day in the fourth inning to cut the Twins lead to 5-3. Again, the Twins would answer with a homer themselves in the bottom of the inning. Chris Gimenez hit a home run to get the run back in the fourth. Sano also notched an RBI single in the fourth to keep pouring it on.

    Kennys Vargas got an RBI via a single in the seventh to extend the lead to 8-3. Kansas City would cut it to 8-4 with an Eric Hosmer solo shot in the eighth but that is where the scoring would stop in the doubleheader.

    The Royals got another incredibly short start in the second game with starter Ian Kennedy only lasting two innings. The Twins got away with only using six pitchers in the doubleheader where the Royals needed nine pitchers to complete the day at Target Field.

    Final Score: 8-4, Twins win.

    What’s next for the Twins?

    The Twins now hit the road for a three-game set at Camden Yards against the Baltimore Orioles. Monday and Tuesday’s games are set for a 6:05 Central first pitch and Wednesday’s game from Baltimore is set for 11:35 central.

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