Kody Clemens launched a walk-off grand slam to lift the Minnesota Twins to an improbable 4-3 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Minnesota, which was held without a hit by Noah Cameron until the seventh inning, walked off the Royals twice in the last three games, clinching the series.
Lucas Erceg took over in the ninth for Cameron, striking out Trevor Larnach and getting Victor Caratini to line out, before hitting Ryan Jeffers with a pitch and allowing Royce Lewis’ single. Josh Bell then walked to load the bases.
The Royals turned to Matt Strahm (3-4), who hung an 0-2 slider to Clemens, leading to the 407-foot blast to right-center for his 19th homer of the season.
Right-hander Bailey Ober started and threw six innings for the Twins, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits, striking out three and walking two. Right-hander Yoendrys Gomez (2-0) tossed a scoreless top of the ninth for Minnesota, which won its sixth game in eight outings.
Cameron hurled an eight-inning gem, yielding just one hit while striking out seven and walking two. Jac Caglianone hit a two-run homer for the Royals, who had won eight of their previous 12.
After John Rave’s two-out double in the third, Caglianone blasted a 438-foot home run, his 17th of the season, giving the Royals a 2-0 edge.
In the fifth, Tyler Tolbert laced a one-out single before Rave doubled, and the third Kansas City run scored on Clemens’ throwing error in right field.
Brooks Lee’s leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth snapped a stretch of 14 consecutive Minnesota batters retired by Cameron. The Kansas City left-hander then struck out Alex Jackson and got Ryan Kreidler to ground out. After Cameron’s wild pitch, Austin Martin grounded out to end the inning.
Taylor Rogers relieved Ober in the top of the seventh, allowing Isaac Collins’ leadoff single and Carter Jensen’s two-out walk before striking out Lane Thomas.
Minnesota finally tallied its first hit in the bottom of the seventh, as Jeffers lined a single to center to begin the inning. Cameron then retired Lewis, Bell and Clemens to preserve the three-run lead.
Andrew Morris tossed a scoreless eighth for the Twins.
–Field Level Media
