Bobby Witt Jr. scored twice and manufactured the decisive run in the bottom of the eighth inning to help the Kansas City Royals notch a 2-1 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.
Witt hit a slow tapper back to Minnesota reliever Griffin Jax (0-1) with one out in the eighth. Instead of an easy out, Jax airmailed the throw to first base and the ball rolled down the right-field line.
Witt never stopped running and easily reached third base. Vinnie Pasquantino followed with a slow tapper to first base and Witt scored without a throw to give Kansas City the lead.
Witt reached base three times on a double, a walk and the 8th-inning error. The Royals had just three hits while beating the Twins for the second straight night and sixth consecutive time overall.
Kansas City reliever John Schreiber (1-0) got the win, giving up two hits in 1 2/3 innings, and Daniel Lynch IV recorded the final out for his first save.
The Twins threatened in the top of the eighth as Ryan Jeffers and Trevor Larnach singled to put runners at the corners with one out. But Schreiber induced a Carlos Correa grounder to Witt, who began a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Correa had two of Minnesota’s seven hits.
Royals starter Cole Ragans struck out 11 in six innings. He gave up one run on four hits and walked none while throwing 96 pitches.
Minnesota’s Pablo Lopez departed after 4 2/3 innings due to right hamstring tightness. He gave up one unearned run, three hits and one walk and struck out six.
Kansas City got on the board in the fourth. Witt hit a one-out double to center and moved to third when Twins second baseman Mickey Gasper made an error on Pasquantino’s grounder. Witt then scored on Salvador Perez’s fielder’s choice.
Minnesota tied the score in the fifth. Ty France hit a one-out double to left and Edouard Julian was hit by a pitch. Harrison Bader followed with a run-scoring single to left.
Lopez retired the first two hitters in the bottom of the frame before Kyle Isbel singled and Jonathan India walked. After the final pitch to India, Lopez grabbed his upper right leg and Twins shortstop Correa saw it, alerting the dugout. Lopez walked off after a brief discussion with a trainer.
