Even Kauffman Stadium is no safe haven for the Twins anymore.
Minnesota took a 3-0 lead after two innings Tuesday, but the Royals rallied with four runs off Twins starter Dylan Bundy, then strung together three consecutive doubles against Michael Fulmer to hand the Twins their fifth loss in six games, 5-4 in Kansas City, Mo.
The loss probably shocked the Twins, who were attempting to beat the Royals for a franchise-record eighth consecutive game, including their past four meetings at Kauffman Stadium.
But coming off a frustrating and season-sabotaging weekend in Cleveland, it simply added to the frustration of a team in free-fall. The Twins remained 7½ games behind the Guardians in the AL Central, but they are now down to only 14 games remaining; their "elimination number," given that the Guardians also win any tie-breaker, is now just seven losses or Guardians wins, with two games left in the season.
This being a Twins game, there were a number of players who may have suffered injuries during the game. Gilberto Celestino left the game after four innings, and after making a mistake on the base paths by not tagging up and scoring from third base on a potential sacrifice fly by Luis Arraez. In the eighth, Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez were removed after being hit by pitches. Their conditions had not been updated by game's end.
Nick Gordon, whose two home runs were some of the Twins' few highlights in Cleveland, stayed hot with three hits on Tuesday, including two doubles. But one of those doubles came with two out in the fifth inning, when he tried unsuccessfully to stretch the hit into a triple.
Carlos Correa also collected three hits, the first of which, a two-out single in the second inning, capped the Twins' three-run inning. It was notable as one of the few clutch hits for the Twins, who went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position, all night.
Even more notable for Correa: He threw out Royals speedster MJ Melendez at home plate with the game tied in the seventh inning, catching Jake Cave's throw from left field on Bobby Witt Jr.'s double off the wall and firing it to Sanchez to retire Melendez.
Unfortunately, the next batter, Royals catcher Salvador Perez, looped a fastball from Fulmer into right field, just inside the foul line, scoring the go-ahead run.
Melendez also crushed a two-run homer over the center field wall off Bundy to begin Kansas City's comeback. Hunter Dozier also homered for the Royals, who improved to 6-11 in September.
