SB Nation Kansas City - Royals Can't Take Down AL Central-Leading Twins, Lose 5-4https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48935/kc-fave.png2010-09-07T07:03:24-05:00http://kansascity.sbnation.com/rss/stream/14380562010-09-07T07:03:24-05:002010-09-07T07:03:24-05:00Royals Can't Take Down AL Central-Leading Twins, Lose 5-4
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<p>Minneapolis, MN (<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/54182/recap/113934">Sports Network</a>) - <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/651/Jason_Kubel">Jason Kubel</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/157/Jim_Thome">Jim Thome</a> both homered in the bottom of the fifth inning, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/minnesota-twins">Minnesota Twins</a> clipped Kansas City, 5-4, in the opener of a three-game series at Target Field.</p>
<p>Thome, who now has 585 career home runs, one shy of Frank Robinson for eighth place on the all-time list, added an RBI double.</p>
<p>Fresh off a three-game sweep of AL West-leading Texas, Minnesota maintained its 3 1/2-game lead over Chicago in the AL Central. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/chicago-white-sox">White Sox</a> beat Detroit in extra innings on Monday.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/751/Kevin_Slowey">Kevin Slowey</a> returned from a trip to the 15-day disabled list to start for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a> and gave up two runs on seven hits in four innings. He landed on the DL with a right triceps strain after throwing just three frames against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/los-angeles-angels">Angels</a> on August 21.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/32721/Jeff_Manship">Jeff Manship</a> (2-0) worked two innings to get the win.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/996/Brayan_Pena">Brayan Pena</a> drove in two runs for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/kansas-city-royals">Royals</a>, who have lost 18 of their last 22 games to Minnesota. Sean O'Sullivan (2-5) yielded five runs on seven hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings.</p>
<p>Pena recorded a run-scoring groundout in the second and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/32874/Chris_Getz">Chris Getz</a> followed with an RBI double to give Kansas City a 2-0 lead.</p>
<p>The Twins got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/33400/Matt_Tolbert">Matt Tolbert</a>, then tied the game on Thome's double in the fourth before seizing the lead in the next frame.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/648/Joe_Mauer">Joe Mauer</a> hit a one-out single in the fifth and Kubel followed with a blast to left-center field. After <span>Michael Cuddyer</span> grounded out, Thome launched a pitch to right to give Minnesota a 5-2 advantage.</p>
<p>"Two pitches changed the whole game," O'Sullivan said.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Royals</a> trimmed their deficit with two runs off Manship in the sixth. Back- to-back doubles by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/261/Alex_Gordon">Alex Gordon</a> and Pena produced a run. Pena then took third on a sacrifice and came home on a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/858/Yuniesky_Betancourt">Yuniesky Betancourt</a> groundout.</p>
<p>Kansas City had a base runner in both the seventh and eighth innings, but failed to move him into scoring position.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/366/Matt_Capps">Matt Capps</a> pitched a flawless ninth for his 36th save of the season. It was his 10th as a member of the Twins.</p>
<p>"It's been a lot of fun," Capps said about his time in Minnesota. "Hopefully, we keep playing good baseball and it remains fun."</p>
<p>Cuddyer went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 11 games...Kansas City's Billy Butler singled in the third, giving him a hit in 96 straight series, which ties the club record set by Willie Wilson from 1979-81...Minnesota is 10-3 against the Royals in 2010.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2010/9/7/2320586/royals-cant-take-down-al-central-leading-twins-lose-5-4Joel Thorman