Twins bop Royals with six-run seventh in opener
MINNEAPOLIS -- Ervin Santana pitched seven effective innings, Miguel Sano hit a solo home run and the Minnesota Twins scored six runs in the seventh to open the season Monday with a 7-1 win over the Kansas City Royals.
Santana (1-0) allowed just two hits -- one a solo homer by Mike Moustakas -- and had three strikeouts in his second career Opening Day start.
Jason Castro collected two hits and two RBIs in his first game for Minnesota, which won its season opener for the first time since 2008.
The Twins took advantage of a wild Kansas City bullpen in the seventh, with three runs scoring on bases-loaded walks.
Matt Strahm (0-1) gave up four runs, two hits and two walks in relief of Royals starter Danny Duffy.
Duffy left after striking out eight over six strong innings, surrendering three hits, including the solo homer to Sano. Duffy was making his first career Opening Day start.
A tidy affair between the two starters turned into a romp by Minnesota.
Santana walked the leadoff hitter to start the seventh and then got three straight strikeouts to end his day.
Jorge Polanco started the bottom of the inning with a single. Max Kepler tried to sacrifice Polanco to second but was safe on the bunt down the first-base line after an umpire review showed he beat the throw.
Eddie Rosario followed with a sacrifice bunt and Brian Dozier was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Strahm couldn't find the plate and walked Robbie Grossman with the bases loaded. Reliever Peter Moylan struck out Byron Buxton, but Travis Wood entered and walked Joe Mauer and Sano to force in two more runs.
Castro followed with a two-run single and Polanco drove in another run with his second hit of the inning.
Gone are the days where Royals manager could turn to a shutdown bullpen with the likes of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland. Herrera is the team's closer now after Davis was traded to the Chicago Cubs in the offseason.
Strahm is in his second season after pitching in 21 games as a rookie last year. Moylan is in his second year with Kansas City and Wood was added in the offseason. The Royals had the fifth-best bullpen ERA last season at 3.45 after finishing second in 2015 with a 2.72 ERA.
NOTES: The Twins recognized the late Yordano Ventura and Yorman Landa. Ventura and Landa both died in car crashes in the offseason. Landa was killed in Venezuela and Ventura in the Dominican Republic. Minnesota had a patch with YL on their uniform and Kansas City will wear an "Ace 30" patch all season. ... 1B Joe Mauer started his 13th Opening Day for Minnesota, tying him with Harmon Killebrew for the most in club history (since 1961). He's one of three current players with 13-plus seasons with one team, with Mets 3B David Wright and Cardinals C Yadier Molina the others. ... The Royals opened the season in Minnesota for the first time in their 49-year history. They had hosted the Twins four times previously for Opening Day. ... Monday marked the second time the Twins have opened the season at Target Field since the stadium opened in 2010.