Bobby Witt Jr. hit a go-ahead single with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, and the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Carter Jensen homered and drove in two runs for Kansas City, which earned its second straight victory in the four-game set. The Royals will go for a series win Sunday.
Orlando Arcia homered for the Twins. Tristan Gray also had an RBI.
Kansas City’s Matt Strahm (3-1) gave up one run in one inning and earned the victory in relief. He was one of four pitchers who followed starter Luinder Avila, who allowed one run on two hits in five innings.
The Twins’ Eric Orze (2-2) gave up two runs on two hits in one inning. He spoiled a quality start by Joe Ryan, who allowed one run on six hits in six innings.
Royals right-hander Alex Lange pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his third save.
The Twins led 2-1 after Arcia belted a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth.
Kansas City responded in the top of the ninth. The Royals put runners on second and third with one out for Jensen, who hit a sacrifice fly to right to even the score at 2.
Moments later, Witt Jr. singled past a leaping shortstop to make it a 3-2 lead.
The Royals jumped to a 1-0 advantage in the first at-bat of the game.
Batting in the leadoff spot, Jensen worked the count to 2-2 before pulling a curveball over the wall in right field. The 384-foot shot marked Jensen’s eighth home run of the season and his first in June.
The Twins pulled even in the fifth.
Austin Martin hit a leadoff single and advanced to third base on Victor Caratini’s double to right. Two batters later, Gray hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Martin.
Ryan escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to maintain the tie score. He retired the Royals’ Josh Rojas on a ground ball back to the pitcher to strand three runners.
-Field Level Media
