Minnesota Twins vs Kansas City Royals Match Player Stats On Jul 01, 2017 Game 2

The Sports Xchange
Jul 2, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Miguel Sano hit a three-run homer and Eddie Rosario had a career-best five hits as the Minnesota Twins clipped the Kansas City Royals 10-5 to win the second game of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday.

Mike Moustakas, Brandon Moss, Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon homered in the opener to power the Royals to an 11-6 victory.

Rosario stroked five singles, drove in a run and scored three times in the nightcap. Felix Jorge (1-0), who was 8-1 with a 3.26 ERA with Double-A Chattanooga, gave up three runs, seven hits and a walk in five innings plus one batter in his major league debut.

The Twins increased their lead to 7-2 in the sixth inning with Jason Castro figuring into all three runs. He doubled in two runs and scored on a Joe Mauer single. Escobar and Jorge Bonifacio also committed errors in the inning.

Royals starter Jason Hammel (4-7), who was undefeated in five June starts, gave up seven runs (one unearned), nine hits, two walks and a wild pitch in 5 1/3 innings.

The Royals tightened it with a three-run sixth that included a two-run Jorge Solar homer off Buddy Boshers. Escobar's two-out double scored Moss with the final run of the inning.

A Whit Merrifield error, a walk and two hits gifted the Twins with three runs in the ninth.

Sano, who homered in the first game, blasted a three-run homer in a four-run fifth inning.

Rosario led off the fifth with a single and scored on Castro's double to right. Mauer walked on four Hammel pitches.

That prompted a mound visit from pitching coach Dave Eiland, who probably did not tell Hammel, "let's throw your next pitch right down the middle and see how Sano can hit it."

Sano demolished Hammel's first pitch far over the left-center field fence with Mauer and Castro along for the ride to give the Twins a 4-1 advantage.

In a battle of the Jorges in the first inning, Bonifacio doubled against Twins right-hander Felix Jorge, who was making his major league debut.

Bonifacio soon scored on Eric Hosmer's two-out, opposite field home run, his 11th homer of the season. Hosmer parked a 1-1 pitch into the left-field seats, an estimated 388 feet.

Robbie Grossman led off the game with a double against Hammel, but that was as far as he went. Hammel retired Mauer on a fly ball to left and struck out Sano and Max Kepler to strand Grossman.

Kepler doubled with one out in the fourth, but Hammel retired the next two hitters.

Hammel, however, could not prevent the damage in the fifth.

NOTES: The Royals placed LHP Matt Strahm on the disabled list before the second game. He left in the opener with left knee inflammation. They recalled RHP Miguel Almonte from Triple-A Omaha. Almonte pitched a scoreless eighth inning in game two. … The Twins summoned RHP Ryan Pressly from Triple-A Rochester. They optioned rookie RHP Alan Busenitz to their International League farm club. ... Red Sox manager John Farrell, Luke's dad, made it to Kansas City for his debut. ... Royals LHP Travis Wood and Twins LHP Hector Santiago are the Sunday probables. … Gordon’s 24 career home runs against the Twins is the most by a Royal. Hall of Famer George Brett hit 23.