May 30, 2021

Whit Merrifield had two hits, scored twice and led in one run as the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 6-3 on Sunday afternoon in the final of a three-game series.

The Royals have beaten the Twins twice this weekend for their first series victory at Minnesota since Sept. 1-3, 2017.

The Royals won despite walking seven Twins hitters and hitting another, as Minnesota blocked 10 runners.

Royals right-hander Brad Keller (5-4) allowed three runs on five hits with four goals and six strikeouts for the win, while coming off several jams. Greg Holland pitched the ninth inning for his third save.

Twins right-hander Matt Shoemaker (2-6) allowed five runs – including four in the fifth inning – on six hits while taking the loss.

Merrifield opened the game with a brace and went to third place on a Carlos Santana groundout. Andrew Benintendi then completed the first pitch he saw over the shortstop for a single, scoring Merrifield.

The Twins tied him to the bottom of the first. They loaded the bases on one and two rides. With two strikeouts, Trevor Larnach walked to tie 1-1. Keller called out Rob Refsnyder to complete the round.

Ben Rortvedt of the Twins hit his first major league home homer early in the second inning as Minnesota took a 2-1 lead. Rortvedt was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul ahead of Sunday’s game, replacing Max Kepler, who was put on the 10-day injured list.

Shoemaker then put out 11 straight batters, striking out five in the first four innings, but it all ended in the fifth. Edward Olivares, who was recalled from Triple-A Omaha before the game, delivered his first hit of the season and placed third on a Kelvin Gutierrez single.

Hunter Dozier led Olivares on the defenseman pick and scored two hitters later on a Merrifield single. With goals loaded and one out, Benintendi led in a run with a sacrificed fly and Salvador Perez made a single in the fourth inning of the set for a 5-2 lead.

The Twins loaded up the non-strikeout in the bottom of the fifth on a pair of hits and a walk, but they only managed one run on Miguel Sano’s double-play field.

Dozier’s homerun in the ninth, his sixth of the season, gave the Royals a three-point cushion.

– Field level media