Jorge Polanco and Johnny Field each had four hits -- including solo home runs -- and two RBIs, to help the visiting Minnesota Twins defeat the Kansas City Royals 9-6 Sunday afternoon to salvage one win in the four-game series.
Max Kepler and Tyler Austin also hit solo shots for the Twins (68-81), who had 18 hits in ending an eight-game Kauffman Stadium losing streak after winning their first game of the season there May 28. They also ended an eight-game losing streak on the road.
Kyle Gibson (8-13) allowed five runs and 11 hits while striking out six in 6 2/3 innings for his first win since Aug. 17, ending a four-start losing streak.
Adalberto Mondesi was 3-for-5 with a two-run homer for the Royals (52-97), who won the season series 10-9.
Kansas City's Jakob Junis allowed four runs, eight hits and one walk while striking out three in three-plus innings.
The Royals scored twice in the first inning. Mondesi and Alex Gordon singled. Mondesi was caught stealing at third and Gordon went to second. Ryan O'Hearn and Rosell Herrera hit RBI doubles.
The Twins scored once in the second on consecutive two-out singles by Field, Chris Gimenez and Polanco.
Kepler tied the game on his 19th homer of the season in the third.
Austin led off Minnesota's three-run fourth with his 16th home run of the season and Field followed with his seventh. Brian Flynn replaced Junis, allowing a run on singles by Gimenez, Eddie Rosario and Robbie Grossman.
O'Hearn doubled and scored on Brian Goodwin's single in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the lead to 5-3.
The Royals tied it on Mondesi's ninth homer of the season in the fifth, one out after Meibrys Viloria's leadoff single.
Polanco led off the sixth against Jerry Vasto (0-1) with his fifth homer of the season to restore Minnesota's lead. The Twins added a run in the sixth on singles by Rosario and Logan Forsythe and an error by first baseman O'Hearn on a pick-off attempt after Kevin McCarthy replaced Vasto.
Taylor Rogers replaced Gibson after Mondesi's two-out single in the seventh. He finished the inning and pitched a perfect eight with two strikeouts.
The Twins added two in the ninth against Wily Peralta on a walk by Kepler, an RBI double by Ehire Adrianza and an RBI single by Field, who had his first career major league four-hit game.
Minnesota's Trevor Hildenberger allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth on a two-out double by Viloria and a single by Whit Merrifield.
--Field Level Media
Minnesota | Kansas City | |
Kyle Gibson | Player | Jakob Junis |
Win | W/L | No Decision |
6.2 | IP | 3.0 |
6 | Strikeouts | 3 |
11 | Hits | 8 |
6.75 | ERA | 12.00 |
Minnesota | Kansas City | |
Johnny Field | Player | Ryan O'Hearn |
4 | Hits | 3 |
2 | RBI | 1 |
1 | HR | 0 |
8 | TB | 5 |
.800 | Avg | .750 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Minnesota | 18 | 4 | 32 | .429 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Kansas City | 13 | 1 | 20 | .342 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 |