Simeon Woods Richardson earned his first victory since April 13, and Jose Miranda drove in a pair of first-inning runs as the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals, 4-2, in front of an announced crowd of 15,174 at Target Field on Tuesday night.
Manny Margot scored a run and drove in another with a two-out double as the Twins won for the sixth time in seven games and pulled within 2½ games of second-place Kansas City in the American League Central Division.
Edouard Julien, who entered as a pinch hitter for Kyle Farmer in the sixth, singled home Byron Buxton with an insurance run off reliever Carlos Hernandez in the eighth inning. Buxton was 2 for 2 with a triple, run scored and a pair of walks.
Woods Richardson (2-0) was charged with two earned runs on three hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out three. Jhoan Duran allowed a double and single to the first two batters in the ninth but pitched out of trouble for a scoreless inning and his eighth save.
Minnesota Twins’ Carlos Correa (4) scores off a two-run single by Minnesota Twins’ Jose Miranda during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, May 28, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota broke the seal early, scoring a pair of runs in the first off Kansas City left-hander Cole Ragans (4-4).
Leadoff hitter Margot reached on an infield hit to shortstop and was doubled to third by Carlos Correa. After Ryan Jeffers struck out, Miranda laced a single into center to score both runners and make it 2-0 Twins.
Buxton followed with a walk, but Willi Castro struck out and Farmer lined out to center to end the inning.
The Twins took a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning on consecutive two-out doubles by Christian Vazquez and Margot.
Ragans gave up nine hits in five innings but kept damage to a minimum by walking just one and striking out seven Twins batters.
The Royals answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Woods Richardson, who had allowed only one base runner, on a walk, in the first four innings, allowed the first three batters to reach. He walked Nick Lofton, then allowed a double to Hunter Renfroe to put runners at second and third.
Renfroe came home on a single to left by Garrett Hamson. No. 9 hitter Kyle Isbel grounded up the middle to score Renfroe and cut the Twins’ lead to 3-2, but Correa made the play to get him at first for the first out.
Correa fielded another grounder up the middle and got leadoff hitter Miakel Garcia for the second out, and with Hampson at third, Woods Richardson retired Bobby Witt Jr. on a fly to right.
Briefly
Kansas City first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino left in the third inning after injuring himself trying to force Buxton with two out in the third inning. The Royals said he has a lower-leg contusion, but X-rays showed no additional damage. … The Twins are 4-1 against Kansas City this season, but 0-5 against first-place Cleveland.
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