KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Byron Buxton hit his 30th home run and the Minnesota Twins got the strongest pitching performance by right-hander Bailey Ober in nearly a month to break their six-game losing streak in a 5-1 victory Sunday afternoon against the Kansas City Royals.
Buxton started the top of the first inning against right-hander Michael Lorenzen with his 17th career leadoff homer and ninth of 2025. Buxton’s 30 homers overall build on a career high and tie Tom Brunansky for 10th all-time on the Twins long-ball list with 163. Brian Dozier is ninth at 167.
Ober (4-8) came in with a 5.23 ERA and had not picked up a win in 18 starts since May 3 but he allowed a run, four hits and a walk to go with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. He kept the Royals off the scoreboard until Vinnie Pasquantino hit an RBI single in the sixth.
Buxton exited the game in the bottom of the seventh, two innings after getting hit in the left knee with a pitch. He stayed in to run the bases and played defense in the bottom of the sixth.
An All-Star for the second time, Buxton was playing in his 109th game this season, the second straight year he played in at least 100 games. The 2017 season was the only other time he surpassed that mark, finishing with 140.
After righty Justin Topa left with an injury in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and runners at second and third, left-hander Génesis Cabrera walked rookie Carter Jensen to load the bases.
Mike Yastrzemski, representing the tying run, flied to center for the final out.
The Twins won for the first time this month and improved to 63-80. They have gone 29-52 since June 5.
Kody Clemens added a long two-run home run in the fourth, and Luke Keaschall took home on a double steal in the sixth.
Cole Sands pitched out of traffic in the sixth against Twins killer Salvador Perez, who hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Sands did it again in the seventh when Nick Lofton ended a scoring threat with a 5-4-3 double play.
In the eighth against righty Justin Topa, Perez grounded to short with runners at first and second.
Perez came in with a .277/.315/.478 career line against the Twins with 35 home runs, 13th all-time against Minnesota.
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