Royals deal Twins gut-wrenching defeat in 10 innings
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Lorenzo Cain had a hand's on approach in the Kansas City Royals' come-from-behind victory.
Cain had three hits and scored the winning run in the 10th inning as the Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 on Friday night to snap a season-high four-game losing streak.
Cain led off the bottom of the 10th with a double, went to third on a wild pitch by Aaron Thompson (1-3) and scored on Jarrod Dyson's fielder's choice grounder to first baseman Joe Mauer.
"I knew I was definitely safe," Cain said. "I felt my hand get in there before he tagged me. I was going on contact, but I kind of hesitated for a split second."
Cain's head first slide beat catcher Kurt Suzuki's tag.
"He beat it," Suzuki said. "He's pretty fast. The play happens so fast. You have to be ready to make the play, to catch it and put the tag down. He's going on contact. It was a chopper. Speed kills."
The Twins challenged the call, but after a 99-second review the ruling on the field stood.
Wade Davis (4-1) worked a spotless 10th and lowered his ERA to 0.26.
The Royals tied it 2 in the eighth off Casey Fien when Kendrys Morales' two-out single drove home Cain, who had singled and stole second. Morales leads the Royals with 51 RBI.
"We definitely need this win," Cain said. "We lost four in a row and it was definitely tough to go through. We found a way to get it done in the 10th."
The Royals muffed a chance to win it in the ninth when they loaded the bases with one out, but came away empty after Mike Moustakas flied out to Aaron Hicks in shallow right-center. Pinch-runner Dusty Coleman, making his major league debut, was at third and started home, but then stopped about half way down and was caught in a rundown.
"It's my fault," Coleman said. "I should have been at full speed, making them make the play at home."
Coleman ran for Salvador Perez, who led off the inning with a single. After Alex Rios' single, Omar Infante's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third and Alcides Escobar was walked intentionally to load the bases.
Minnesota super prospect Miguel Sano had a double, an RBI and scored a run in his second major-league game.
Sano opened the fifth with a double to left-center, advanced to third on Eduardo Escobar's infield single and scored on Hicks' sacrifice fly.
Sano's second-inning single scored Eddie Rosario, who led off with a double.
Left-hander Tommy Milone limited the Royals to one run and five hits, while striking out five and walking two in six innings.
Milone gave up a run and three hits in the third. Cain's two-out single scored Rios.
Royals right-hander Jeremy Guthrie allowed two runs and six hits over 7 1/3 innings, throwing a season-high 110 pitches.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins outfielder Shane Robinson was placed on the family emergency list to be with his 8-month-old daughter Harper in Boston after complications from esophagus surgery. Robinson is not anticipated to rejoin the team until Monday at the soonest. The Twins recalled Hicks from Triple-A Rochester, where he was on a rehab assignment. He went on the DL on June 13 with a strained right forearm.
UP NEXT
Twins righty Mike Pelfrey is winless in his past four starts with an 8.85 ERA. He yielded eight runs and nine hits in two innings Monday in a loss at Cincinnati, his shortest outing since May 21, 2013.
