MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Brooks Lee hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to give the Minnesota Twins their second straight walk off against the Kansas City Royals, this time overcoming a four-run deficit for a 5-4 win on Saturday.
Harrison Bader and Kody Clemens homered for Minnesota, which won for the 16th time in 18 games.
Pinch-hitter Carlos Correa walked against Daniel Lynch IV (3-1) to open the Minnesota ninth and advanced to second two batters later when pinch-hitter Ryan Jeffers also walked. With Steven Cruz pitching, Lee grounded a ball up the middle for his first career walk-off hit.
Ty France hit a two-run home run in the ninth in the Twins 3-1 win on Friday.
Minnesota closer Jhoan Duran (3-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.
Vinnie Pasquantino had three hits for Kansas City, which struck out a season-high 18 times. Bobby Witt Jr. tied a career high with four of those.
Pasquantino had an RBI double and Salvador Perez an RBI single in the fifth for a 4-0 Kansas City lead, but Bader homered and France had a two-out, two-run single in the inning to get the Twins within 4-3.
Clemens tied the game with a home run leading off the sixth against Royals’ starter Michael Wacha, who allowed seven hits and four earned runs in five-plus innings.
Key moment
With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth, Kansas City’s Drew Waters bounced back to Duran to end the threat.
Key stat
In his second start since being recalled from Triple-A last Sunday, Minnesota’s Zebby Matthews needed 81 pitches to get through four innings. The right-hander allowed two earned runs on five hits but struck out a career-high nine.
Up next
Royals LHP Kris Bubic (5-2, 1.47) will face Twins RHP Bailey Ober (4-1, 3.68) on Sunday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Mike Cook, The Associated Press
