Final
Royals crush Twins, move to 7-0
Apr 14, 2015 - 1:32 AM Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Lorenzo Cain had two RBI on his 29th birthday and the unbeaten Kansas City Royals topped Minnesota 12-3, spoiling the Twins' home opener.Eric Hosmer and Alcides Escobar also knocked in two runs for the Royals, who, at 7-0, are two wins shy of matching the best start in team history. The 2003 squad opened with nine straight wins to set the mark.
"They're just a real confident group," said Kansas City manager Ned Yost. "Feel like they're capable of accomplishing great things."
Kansas City starter Danny Duffy (1-0) gave up three runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Trevor Plouffe homered and Brian Dozier doubled twice and scored two runs for Minnesota, which has dropped six of seven to begin the 2015 season.
Trevor May (0-1) allowed five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He replaced Ricky Nolasco in the Minnesota rotation after the right-hander landed on the 15-day disabled list with elbow inflammation.
The Royals scored six runs in the eighth to break open what had been a close contest.
With the bases loaded and no outs, J.R. Graham entered from the bullpen and drilled Alex Rios on the left hand with his first pitch to make it 6-3. Another run scored when shortstop Danny Santana bobbled a Salvador Perez grounder.
Escobar then plated a pair with a one-out single and Cain later forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk. Aaron Thompson relieved Graham, who retired only one of the six batters he faced, and gave up a sacrifice fly to Hosmer.
A first-inning single by Kennys Vargas drove in Dozier to give Minnesota an early lead.
Kansas City tied it on a second-inning home run by Kendrys Morales and grabbed a 2-1 lead in the third on a sac fly by Cain with the bases loaded.
Cain ripped a double to right field in the sixth and went to third on a throwing error by Torii Hunter. Mike Moustakas, who led off with a single, was able to score on the miscue. Hosmer followed with a double to score Cain and came home on a two-out single by Perez off reliever Tim Stauffer.
"(May) got us into the sixth and we were hoping to get him through that inning with just the 2-1 deficit, but we had to get him out of there to try to keep it close," said Minnesota manager Paul Molitor.
The Twins trimmed their deficit to 5-3 with a sac fly by Hunter in the sixth and a leadoff blast from Plouffe in the seventh.
Game Notes
Kansas City relievers Ryan Madson and Franklin Morales combined to allow only one hit over the final 2 2/3 innings ... The Royals bullpen has tossed 19 scoreless innings this season ... Minnesota has dropped its last four home openers.
- KANSAS CITY: 12
MINNESOTA: 3
Final
Apr 13 7:06 PM - Omar Infante doubles to deep left center field. Jarrod Dyson scores.
Royals 12, Twins 3 Top 9, 2 OutsApr 13 6:58 PM - Hosmer hit a sacrifice fly to center fielder S.Robinson, A.Escobar scored.
Royals 11, Twins 3 Top 8, 2 OutsApr 13 6:41 PM - Eric Hosmer out on a sacrifice fly to deep center field to Shane Robinson. Alcides Escobar scores.
Royals 11, Twins 3 Top 8, 1 OutApr 13 6:41 PM - Cain walked on a full count, S.Perez scored, A.Escobar to third, Moustakas to second.
Royals 10, Twins 3 Top 8, 1 OutApr 13 6:38 PM - Mike Moustakas to second. Alcides Escobar to third. Salvador Perez scores.
Royals 10, Twins 3 Top 8, 1 OutApr 13 6:38 PM - A.Escobar singled to center, A.Gordon scored, Rios scored, S.Perez to second.
Royals 9, Twins 3 Top 8, 1 OutApr 13 6:31 PM - Alcides Escobar singles to right center field. Salvador Perez to second. Alex Rios scores. Alex Gordon scores.
Royals 9, Twins 3 Top 8, 1 OutApr 13 6:31 PM - S.Perez safe on fielder's choice and fielding error by shortstop D.Santana, Morales scored, A.Gordon to third, Rios to second, S.Perez to first.
Royals 7, Twins 3 Top 8, 0 OutsApr 13 6:29 PM - Salvador Perez reaches on error. Alex Rios to second. Alex Gordon to third. Kendrys Morales scores. Fielding error by Daniel Santana.
Royals 7, Twins 3 Top 8, 0 OutsApr 13 6:29 PM - Rios was hit by a pitch, Hosmer scored, Morales to third, A.Gordon to second.
Royals 6, Twins 3 Top 8, 0 OutsApr 13 6:26 PM - Alex Rios hit by pitch. Alex Gordon to second. Kendrys Morales to third. Eric Hosmer scores.
Royals 6, Twins 3 Top 8, 0 OutsApr 13 6:26 PM - Tor.Hunter hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Rios, Dozier scored.
Royals 5, Twins 2 Bot 6, 1 OutApr 13 5:55 PM - Torii Hunter out on a sacrifice fly to deep right field to Alex Rios. Brian Dozier scores.
Royals 5, Twins 2 Bot 6, 0 OutsApr 13 5:55 PM - S.Perez singled to left, Hosmer scored, A.Gordon to second.
Royals 5, Twins 1 Top 6, 2 OutsApr 13 5:46 PM - Salvador Perez singles to left field. Alex Gordon to second. Eric Hosmer scores.
Royals 5, Twins 1 Top 6, 2 OutsApr 13 5:46 PM - Eric Hosmer doubles to deep left center field. Lorenzo Cain scores.
Royals 4, Twins 1 Top 6, 0 OutsApr 13 5:36 PM - Lorenzo Cain doubles to deep right field, advances to 3rd. Mike Moustakas scores. Fielding error by Torii Hunter.
Royals 3, Twins 1 Top 6, 0 OutsApr 13 5:35 PM - Cain hit a sacrifice fly to center fielder S.Robinson, S.Perez scored, A.Escobar to third.
Royals 2, Twins 1 Top 3, 2 OutsApr 13 4:53 PM - Lorenzo Cain out on a sacrifice fly to deep center field to Shane Robinson. Alcides Escobar to third. Salvador Perez scores.
Royals 2, Twins 1 Top 3, 2 OutsApr 13 4:53 PM - K.Vargas singled to center, Dozier scored, Tor.Hunter to second.
Royals 0, Twins 1 Bot 1, 2 OutsApr 13 4:30 PM - Kennys Vargas singles to center field. Torii Hunter to second. Brian Dozier scores.
Royals 0, Twins 1 Bot 1, 2 OutsApr 13 4:30 PM - Alcides Escobar grounds out to shortstop, Danny Santana to Joe Mauer.
Apr 13 4:17 PM - KANSAS CITY: 0
MINNESOTA: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Apr 13 4:16 PM
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