KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a tiebreaking single in a four-run eighth inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat Minnesota 4-2 Saturday night to open a 1 1/2-game lead over the Twins for the second AL wild card.
Held to one hit over seven innings by Bailey Ober, the Royals rallied against Jhoan Durán (6-9) and Griffin Jax, winning their third straight following a season-high, seven-game losing streak.
Kansas City (78-65) is second behind Cleveland in the AL Central and Minnesota (76-66) is third after losing four of five.
Duran, who topped 100 mph with five of 17 pitches, entered with a 2-0 lead and gave up a one-out single to Freddy Fermin, then hit Robbie Grossman with a pitch. Kyle Isbel hit an RBI single and Jax relieved, trying for a five-out save.
Tommy Pham hit a slow four-hopper to Brooks Lee and reached on an infield hit as the shortstop barehanded the ball and bounced his throw past first. Pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who had been on second, scored on the error.
Witt, who leads the major leagues with a .336 average, looped a single into short center as Isbel scored for a 3-2 lead. ML Melendez drove in Pham with a two-out single off Jax, who blew a save for the fifth time in 13 chances.
Daniel Lynch (1-0) allowed one hit in three scoreless innings and Lucas Erceg pitched a perfect ninth for his 10th save, his seventh since the Royals acquired him from Oakland in July.
Ober did not allow a runner to reach second, retired his final 15 batters, struck out seven and walked nine.
José Miranda hit a two-out RBI triple in the third and scored on Matt Wallner’s double off Alec Marsh, who gave up four hits in five innings.
Royals right-hander Dan Altavilla cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Omaha.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: 1B Carlos Santana left in the bottom of the sixth inning with an unspecified illness and was replaced by Kyle Farmer.
UP NEXT
Minnesota RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (5-3, 3.95 ERA) starts Sunday against Kansas City RHP Michael Wacha (11-7, 3.50 ERA).
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