MLB: Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins

RECAP: Royals 7, Twins 4; Favorite Thing

As Royals fans, we’re well acquainted with garbage baseball. We know the feeling of an inadequate lineup, crap bullpen and starters who can get through four innings on the regular. That’s the Minnesota Twins right now. Things may get better in the land of lots of lakes, but there’s no guarantee. The only thing that can be said for certain is this is a team ready to roll over and die. Sometimes, you catch the right team at the right time.

Thank the baseball gods for the Minnesota Twins.

If you’re keeping score at home, that’s the fourth consecutive series win for the Royals. Overall, they’ve won nine of 13 and they’re 2.5 back of the White Sox and keeping pace with the Indians in the Central. The doldrums of late April and early May are just a dirty memory.

Purple Cain

Uncle Hud serenaded Lorenzo Cain with his own unique version of Purple Rain after the Royals center fielder drove home the Royals sixth run in the top of the fourth. The musical interlude fueled LoCain to a four hit night, tying his career-best performance. Like his team, after scuffling in April, Cain has caught fire in May. Since bottoming out with a .200 batting average on April 25, he’s tacked on close to 100 points. As the Royals number three hitter goes, so goes his team. Baseball is a funny game.

We won’t talk about Eric Hosmer and Kendrys Morales.

Ed Was Sexy Enough

Edinson Volquez threw a positive start, exiting just an out short of going seven complete. Yeah, it was disappointing he couldn’t get that last out, but for the most part he threw a good game. He lost the zone in a couple of moments in the middle innings, but in both instances, he was able to right himself and get out with minimal damage. Two runs were unearned thanks to Paulo Orlando inexplicably charging a single with two outs and a five run lead in the fourth.

The Volquez change was on point. He threw it 24 times, got 16 swings and the bats missed the pitch eight times. All five of his swinging strikeouts were recorded with the change.

The two-seamer caught a little too much of the zone at times and that was the pitch the Twins were able to put into play with some authority. But when Volquez jumped ahead the off-speed pitches down in the zone were kept Twin batters off balance.

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While he wobbled a bit, he never lost control of the game. Volquez walked three, but struck out six. He recorded eight ground ball outs. The Twins put the tying runs on in the fifth with just one out, but once Volquez cleared that spot of trouble, he was in control until he left the game with two down in the sixth.

WPA Play Of The Game

Nobody loves Minnesota more than Salvador Perez. After going 5-5 last night, falling just a home run shy of the cycle, Perez got his round-tripper in the top of the second inning. Is it kosher to span the cycle over more than one game? Who decided it all the hits have to occur in a single game?

Anyway, Perez continues to torch the Twins. He got a low fastball from Ervin Santana and drove it out of the yard into the green space beyond the centerfield fence.

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The pitch came in at 91 mph and left at 105 mph. Perez’s 10th home run at Target Field. The first two runs of the game for the Royals pushed their Win Expectancy 17 percent. Honestly, the way Volquez opened the game, those two runs felt like they would stand up. Thankfully, the Twins pitching staff ensured the Royals would plate a few more for coverage.

Up Next

Day baseball and a forecast for rain – not the purple kind. Dillon Gee goes for the Royals as they try to complete the sweep. Plan your lunch hour around it. First pitch is 12:10.

 

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