Cruz hit in 10th lifts Twins past Royals

[April 03, 2019]    Nelson Cruz had two hits and drove in three runs, including the game-winner with two outs in the 10th inning, as the visiting Minnesota Twins moved into sole possession of first place in the American League's Central Division with a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Cruz, who also had a two-run double, drove in Willians Astudillo, who opened the 10th with a bloop single to right off reliever Brad Boxberger (0-1). Astudillo advanced to second on a two-out walk to Jorge Polanco before Cruz drove him in with a single to right.

Max Kepler had two hits, two walks and scored a run and C.J. Cron and Polanco also had two hits for the Twins. Trevor Hildenberger (1-0) picked up the win while Blake Parker earned his first save.

Adalberto Mondesi had three hits, including an inside-the-park homer, and Ryan O'Hearn also homered for Kansas City. Martin Maldonado added three hits and Chris Owings had a triple for the Royals.

Twins starter Jose Berrios, who gave up just two hits while striking out 10 over 7 2/3 innings in a 2-0 Opening Day win over Cleveland, gave up a run on two hits and just two pitches in the bottom of the first when the Royals took a 1-0 lead.

Whit Merrifield lined a double to left on the first pitch to extend his hitting streak to 24 games and Mondesi then drove him in with a single to center.

The Twins tied it in the fourth when Eddie Rosario walked and, going on the pitch, scored all the way from first on a single to left-center by Cron. The Royals regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning when Owings tripled off the top of the fence in right and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Dozier.

Cruz then put the Twins back in front, 3-2, in the fifth with a two-out line double off the fence in right-center, driving in Byron Buxton, who had been hit by a pitch, and Kepler, who had walked.

O'Hearn tied it in the sixth with his first home run of the season, a 429-foot line drive to right.

Mondesi then gave the Royals a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth when he lined a Taylor Rogers pitch off the wall in center and then circled the bases before Buxton, who crashed into the fence and fell to the ground, could get up and retrieve the ball.

The run ended a 28 2/3 innings scoreless streak for Rogers dating back to July 30, 2018.

Polanco led off the ninth with a double off the top of the wall in right-center and scored one out later on a single by Rosario to tie it 4-4 and send the game into extra innings.

--Field Level Media

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