Jonathan India belted his fifth career grand slam and Kyle Isbel also went deep among his four hits, lifting the host Kansas City Royals to a 13-9 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
Maikel Garcia drove in three runs as the Royals benefited from their Nos. 6-9 hitters — India, Jac Caglianone, Isaac Collins and Isbel — combining to go 10-for-16 with eight RBIs and nine runs.
Kansas City’s run total in the sixth inning (seven) on Wednesday nearly eclipsed the sum of its first four games of the season (nine).
The offense on Wednesday proved to be enough for Noah Cameron (1-0), who won his season debut after allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts in five innings.
Minnesota scored eight runs over its final three innings — highlighted by Josh Bell’s three-run homer in the ninth — before Lucas Erceg retired the two batters he faced to secure his second save.
Kansas City scored its first four runs with two outs in an inning.
Collins ripped an RBI double and Isbel and Garcia each had a run-scoring single to highlight a three-run second. India added an RBI single in the third for the Royals, who banged out 15 hits to extend their winning streak to three games.
Garcia had a sacrifice fly in the fourth and drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth. Kansas City added two more runs in the sixth before India deposited a 3-1 sinker from Zak Kent over the wall in left field for his first homer of the season, capping a seven-run frame.
Luke Keaschall ripped a two-run double to highlight a three-run seventh for Minnesota, however Isbel homered to lead off the bottom of the inning.
Kansas City opened the scoring with four consecutive base hits with two outs in the second.
Caglianone ripped a two-out double off Joe Ryan (0-1) off the base of the wall in center field and came home on Collins’ double to right field. Isbel followed up his RBI single with a stolen base before scoring on Garcia’s single to give Kansas City a 3-0 lead.
Vinnie Pasquantino doubled to lead off the third and came home three batters later after Minnesota third baseman Royce Lewis appeared to lose the ball in either the rain or fog. India was credited with an RBI single on the play.
Garcia extended the Royals’ lead to 5-0 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth before Brooks Lee plated Lewis with an RBI single in the fifth.
Ryan permitted five runs on nine hits in four innings to fall to 8-2 in 12 career appearances against the Royals.
–Field Level Media
