KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ After Kansas City right-hander Jakob Junis managed to hold the Twins to two earned runs over the first six innings, they rallied for two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth and won, 8-7, on Friday.
With the Twins trailing 6-3, Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco began the seventh inning with singles, then both moved up a base on a wild pitch. Nelson Cruz fell behind 0-2, but the veteran worked the count full before poking a Scott Barlow pitch just past first baseman Cheslor Cuthbert and into right for a two-run single to get the Twins within 6-5. They tied the game in the eighth when Miguel Sano, who had struck out three times, hit a homer to right center estimated at 423 feet. It was his eighth of the season.
After Mitch Garver walked and Jonathan Schoop singled, Max Kepler singled to put the Twins ahead 7-6. It was their first lead of the game and there were still no outs. But after two runners were caught in rundowns between third base and home, Eddie Rosario gave the Twins a two-run lead with an RBI single to left.
Down 3-0 after one inning, the Twins scored one run in the second and two in the fifth to tie the game. But Twins left-hander Martin Perez handed the lead right back to the Royals.
Perez walked Whit Merrifield to open the fifth then plunked Nicky Lopez to put two men on with no outs. It was time to bear down.
He got two strikes on Hunter Dozier, then had him flail at change-up to strike out. Same thing happened with Jorge Soler. That took care of the Royals two main power threats. All Perez needed was one more out to escape the jam, but his 1-1 cutter to Cuthbert was roped out to left for a three-run homer, putting Kansas City ahead 6-3.
Opponents have scored three runs in an inning against the Twins eight times over the past six games. That is a crooked number of crooked-number innings, and the Twins, entering Friday, had lost three of those games.
Perez started and finished poorly. In five innings, he gave up four earned runs on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts. He has now gone five starts without a win after roaring to a 7-1 record once he entered the rotation in mid-April.
The Twins have been able to take punches then counter punch during their stunning race to the top of the AL Central Division. But they did so with cleaner games than they have played this week. And Friday's fell right in line with the others.
It looked as if the Twins were going to have a big night against Junis.
Then Perez took the mound for the bottom of the first and put the Twins in a hole.
Cuthbert socked a two-out double to left, scoring Lopez with the first run of the game. Humberto Arteaga followed with a ground ball to short that should have been the third out, but Polanco threw wildly to first, allowing a second run to score.
