KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) C.J. Cron homered and singled in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 on Saturday.
Miguel Sano and Jake Cave also homered for the Twins, who blew a 3-0 lead in the eighth before pushing ahead for good in the 10th. Eddie Rosario’s double to deep right off Wily Peralta (2-3) scored Cave for a two-run cushion.
Trevor May (2-1) worked a scoreless ninth and Blake Parker retired the side in the 10th for his 10th save in 11 chances. AL Central-leading Minnesota has won two straight after losing four of its previous five.
Both starters had strong outings. The Twins’ Jose Berrios allowed two runs on five hits in seven efficient innings. He took a shutout into the eighth, when he allowed the first two runners to reach and was removed with a blister on his right ring finger.
Danny Duffy worked eight innings for the Royals, allowing three solo homers and three other hits, walking two and striking out four.
In the 10th, Luis Arraez led off with a single and moved to second when Cave was hit by a pitch. Cron’s grounder eluded Hunter Dozier at third to put the Twins ahead.
Humberto Arteaga started the Royals’ rally in the eighth with his first major league hit, a single to right. He scored on Alex Gordon’s two-out double off Taylor Rogers, and Dozier tied it with a two-run single.
A baserunning gaffe by Whit Merrifield cost the Royals in the first. Gordon grounded to first with runners on first and third and none out, and Merrifield broke from third but then froze. Cron tagged out Gordon and got Merrifield in a rundown for a double play.
Sano led off the second with a 454-foot blast to center, his ninth homer of the season.
Cave and Cron homered in the eighth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: OF Byron Buxton (right wrist contusion) took practice swings and threw on Friday and likely will be activated next week from the 10-day injured list, manager Rocco Baldelli said.
ROSTER MOVES
Twins RHP Blake Parker was reinstated from family medical leave on Saturday. His wife was experiencing complications with her pregnancy. To make room on the roster, RHP Kohl Stewart was optioned to Triple-A Rochester.
UP NEXT
Right-hander Michael Pineda (4-3, 4.76 ERA) will start for Minnesota in the final game of the four-game series against right-hander Homer Bailey (6-6, 4.82).
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