Kansas City Royals vs Minnesota Twins Match Player Stats On Aug 17, 2020

Nelson Cruz hit two home runs, and six Minnesota pitchers combined for a seven-hitter as the Twins defeated the Kansas City Royals 4-1 Monday night in their series finale in Minneapolis.

Cruz hit long solo homers in the fourth and seventh innings to give him eight for the season, five of which have come in seven games against the Royals. He now has hit 409 home runs in his career, moving which him into a tie for 55th place on the all-time list with former Texas teammate Mark Teixeira.

At 40 years, 47 days, Cruz became the oldest player with a multi-homer game since David Ortiz went deep twice against the New York Yankees in a May 2016 contest at 40 years, 172 days.

Jorge Polanco and Eddie Rosario each had two hits, and Miguel Sano doubled and scored a run for Minnesota, which won three times in the four-game series while improving to 10-2 at Target Field this season.

Devin Smeltzer (2-0), who entered after opener Matt Wisler tossed two hitless innings, picked up the victory allowing one hit and a walk over 2 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out three.

Royals starter Kris Bubic (0-3) gave up two runs on four hits and four walks while striking out four in 4 1/3 innings.

Hunter Dozier homered leading off the ninth inning to break the shutout, and Maikel Franco added a double and a single for the Royals.

Cruz started the scoring in the fourth with a 416-foot leadoff home run off the facing of the second deck in left. One out later, Marwin Gonzalez walked, advanced to second on a two-out walk to Max Kepler and then scored on a single by Byron Buxton.

The Twins extended their lead to 3-0 in the sixth when Sano led off with a line double off the top of the wall in right-center off reliever Ian Kennedy and scored on a single by Kepler.

Cruz hit his second homer in the seventh off reliever Jake Newberry to make it 4-0, a 428-foot drive that landed at the back of the bullpen in left-center field.

Dozier hit his second home run of the season off Zack Littell in the ninth, a 441-foot drive to dead center.

--Field Level Media