Royals 3, Twins 1
Chris Getz hit an RBI single and scored during a three-run second inning as Kansas City won its fifth straight and completed a three-game road sweep of Minnesota.
Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon each added run-scoring hits for the Royals, who managed only six singles – including three in the second. Bruce Chen (6-2) allowed one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings as Kansas City pulled to within six games of Oakland in the race for the second wild card in the American League.
Samuel Deduno (8-8), who had been battling biceps tendinitis, gave up three runs and four hits before leaving after three innings due to a sore right shoulder. Brian Dozier homered and had two hits for the Twins, who were outscored 17-3 in the series and have managed a total of six runs during their five-game losing streak.
After Billy Butler walked and Justin Maxwell was hit by a pitch to open the second inning, George Kottaras advanced the runners with a groundout. Two pitches later, Escobar plated Butler when he beat out an infield grounder as Dozier lofted a throw from second that pulled Deduno off the bag at first.
Getz doubled the lead with a hard grounder into the gap between shortstop and third and scored on Gordon’s single to left. Dozier hammered a high sinker to lead off the sixth, but the Twins could not get any closer as Kelvin Herrera and Will Smith bridged the gap to Greg Holland, who worked around a two-out walk in the ninth for his 36th save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected for the fourth time this season and the 66th time in his career as home plate umpire Alan Porter booted him in the second following the pitch that hit Maxwell. Porter promptly issued warnings to both starters. … With 77 career victories, Chen is only three wins behind New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera for the most by a Panamian-born pitcher. … Minnesota RF Wilkin Ramirez singled in his only at-bat in the third, but left the game in the fifth after fouling a ball off his left shin.