MINNEAPOLIS — Luke Keaschall hit a two-out, two-run homer in the 11th inning as the Twins defeated the Royals, 5-3, on Sunday afternoon at Target Field.
Keashall drove a fastball from Carlos Estevez over the wall in right-center, touching off a wild celebration as Minnesota clinched its second straight series.
Michael Tonkin pitched two scoreless innings to pick up his first win of the season.
The Royals jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on Adam Frazier’s two-out RBI single off José Ureña.
Minnesota countered with Ryan Fitzgerald’s first Major League hit, a two-run homer in the third that put the Twins on top, 2-1.
That lead held until seventh, when reliever Cole Sands entered the game with two out and none on. He promptly gave up a single to Maikel Garcia before Vinnie Pasquantino launched his 20th homer of the season to give the Royals a 3-2 lead.
The Twins were practically gifted the tying run in the eighth inning. With one out, Austin Martin hit a sinking liner to left. Royals left fielder John Rave made a risky diving attempt to catch it, but the ball skipped past him and rolled all the way to the warning track.
Martin raced all the way around to third base and scored on Ryan Jeffers’ two-out single to tie the game at 3.
