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 Schafer and second baseman Brian Dozier each drove in two runs in
a six-run 10th inning as the Twins toppled the Royals 11-5 Thursday
night.
Schafer went 3-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to eight games,
equaling his career high. His four RBIs matched his career best, set
April 22, 2012, while with the Houston Astros.
"We bunched a lot of hits and runs," said Schafer, who also scored
twice.
Chen (2-4) took the loss as the Twins sent 10 men to the plate in
the 10th. He gave up six runs on five hits, two walks and a hit
batter in his lone inning. Chen was used sparingly of late after
returning from the disabled list.
"It's a little difficult, but everybody has their role," Chen said.
"My job is to be ready whenever they need me. My job is to provide
my team with good quality innings and help this team win. I can't
give that as an excuse."
With base loaded and one out in the 10th, Twins shortstop Eduardo
Nunez hit a go-ahead single to center off Chen. Shafer followed with
a two-run hit to left.
After a popout, Dozier hit a two-run double to right, and catcher
Kurt Suzuki capped the scoring with an RBI double to left.
Right-hander Anthony Swarzak (3-1), the sixth of seven Minnesota
pitchers, picked up the victory.
Dozier and Suzuki added three hits apiece for the Twins. Suzuki
contributed two doubles.
Left-hander Tommy Milone, who is winless in four Minnesota starts
since being acquired in a July 31 trade with the Oakland A's, left
after 5 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs on nine hits and two
walks. Milone left with a 5-4 lead, but the bullpen failed to hold
it the advantage.
Twice in his stint, Milone let the Royals rally from two-run
deficits.
"That's the frustrating part," he said. "(The Twins hitters) had
good at-bats and scored runs. To give it back the next inning is
frustrating. I was falling behind and not being aggressive. I've
always been good about attacking hitters, especially with a lead.
It's just something I've got to work to get back. I'm in a bad
stretch right now."
Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie threw 103 pitches in six innings and
had a similar line, surrendering five runs on nine hits and two
walks.
Schafer doubled home first baseman Chris Parmalee in the sixth to
put the Twins ahead 5-4.
Left fielder Alex Gordon, who hit a walk-off two-run homer Monday,
homered in the seventh to tie it.
"It wasn't going our way," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We'd
get a lead then they'd tie it up.
The Twins, who scored only two runs in losing the first two games of
the series, plated two runs in the first inning. Dozier singled and
scored on designated hitter Kennys Vargas' groundout. Suzuki, who
doubled, came home on right fielder Oswaldo Arcia's two-out single.
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"The first inning I didn't know what happened," Guthrie said. "It
all happened pretty fast. I wish I could kept at two after the
first."
Milone could not keep the advantage in the bottom of the first,
however, as he gave up run-producing singles to Gordon and catcher
Salvador Perez.
The Twins regained the lead with a two-run fourth inning, with
Schafer and Dozier stroking two-out RBI singles off Guthrie.
The Royals cut the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the inning with
rookie second baseman Christian Colon singling home center fielder
Lorenzo Cain, who stole second.
The Royals tied it the fifth when shortstop Alcides Escobar tripled
to right center and scored on first baseman Billy Butler's
ground-ball single to center.
"We couldn't break their serve," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "They
scored two, we scored two. They scored two, we scored two. They
scored one, we scored one.
"It wasn't one of Jeremy's best starts but he got us through six
innings and kept us in the game. When he left, we had a chance to
win the game, and that's what's important."
NOTES: The Royals picked up INF Jayson Nix from the Pittsburgh
Pirates off waivers. The Royals are his fourth organization this
season. Kansas City also optioned RHP Liam Hendriks, who allowed one
run and four hits in seven innings in a spot start Wednesday against
the Twins, to Double-A Northwest Arkansas and activated LHP Scott
Downs from the disabled list. ... 1B Joe Mauer, who was in a
1-for-15 skid, was held out of the Twins' lineup for the first time
since returning from an oblique injury Aug. 11. "I said, 'You're out
today,'" Gardenhire said. "He didn't fight me." Mauer walked as a
pinch hitter in the 10th. ... The Twins continue their trip Friday
with the first of four games against AL East front-runner Baltimore.
Rookie RHP Trevor May starts the opener against Orioles RHP Miguel
Gonzalez. ... Kansas City LHP Jason Vargas pitches against Cleveland
RHP Danny Salazar on Friday in the series opener at Kauffman
Stadium.
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reserved.]
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