KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ The Twins won something they don't care much about on Saturday. But they lost something that matters a great deal to them.
Luis Arraez collided with teammate Willians Astudillo while they tracked a popup near the pitcher's mound, and the rookie third baseman fell to the ground in obvious pain, grimacing as he held his right leg. Arraez was carried off the field in a cart, and the Twins held their breath as they awaited word after a comparatively meaningless 4-3 victory over the Royals on the health of one of the engines of their offense.
With the playoffs looming less than six days away, another injury to a key player is the worst possible outcome of a series which manager Rocco Baldelli candidly admitted before the game matters little to the Twins.
"We'll still go out and compete, and do our best," Baldelli promised. "But having that slight mental break, not having to really live and die by the end result of the game, is really helpful."
Not if competing hard means important players will sit out the playoffs. It's too soon to tell whether that's the case with Arraez, but his injury overshadowed the Twins' sixth straight victory.
With Hunter Dozier batting in the seventh inning, Tyler Duffey threw a 1-2 fastball that Dozier popped almost straight up. All four Twins infielders converged near the pitcher's mound, and Duffey suddenly ducked and ran off the mound. Astudillo, playing first base, settled under the ball on his side of the mound, but Arraez, coming from third base, sped up, perhaps believing Duffey's retreat might allow the ball to drop. The infielders collided, and Arraez spun around, his right foot landing awkwardly and dropping both to the ground.
Arraez held the back of his right leg as he laid on the ground, and Baldelli and head athletic trainer Tony Leo hustled to the mound to attend to the rookie infielder. A cart was eventually brought out, and Arraez was driven off the diamond through the Royals' bullpen, headed to medical treatment.
Jorge Soler homered twice and put an apparent stranglehold on the AL home run race. He hit his 46th in the first inning off starter Cody Stashak, and his 47th, a two-run shot, in the seventh, tying the game and ending Duffey's scoreless streak at 23 2/3 innings.
But Nelson Cruz responded with a home run, his 41st, to lead off the eighth inning, and the Twins, playing the final inning in a steady rain, finished off the Royals for their 101st victory of the season.
