Bobby Witt Jr. lifts Royals to 3–2 win over Twins with clutch sac fly

Royals Rally in Seventh to Top Twins

Bobby Witt Jr. delivered a clutch sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 2–2 tie and lift the Kansas City Royals to a 3–2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium.

Trailing by one entering the inning, Kansas City sparked a rally against Twins reliever Cole Sands (1–1). Freddy Fermin drew a one-out walk, followed by back-to-back singles from Drew Waters and Jonathan India, with India’s hit tying the game. Witt then launched a deep fly ball to center field, scoring Waters and putting the Royals ahead for good.

Royals Bullpen Locks It Down

Daniel Lynch IV (2–0) picked up the win in relief, striking out two of the three batters he faced. Closer Carlos Estévez recorded his fourth save of the season, retiring the side in the ninth to seal the Royals’ third consecutive win.

Kansas City starter Michael Wacha went 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks, while striking out four. Wacha maintained his dominance over Minnesota, having now allowed fewer than three runs in seven of his eight career starts against the Twins.

Ober Solid, But Twins Bullpen Falters

Twins starter Bailey Ober delivered a strong performance, rebounding after a shaky first inning. He allowed a run on three straight singles in the opening frame but settled in to pitch six innings, yielding five hits, one walk, and striking out four.

Minnesota briefly took the lead in the sixth. After Ty France tied the game with a solo homer—his second of the season—in the second inning, he later drew a one-out walk in the sixth, followed by another from Trevor Larnach. Ryan Jeffers delivered a go-ahead RBI single up the middle to make it 2–1.

Key Moment

With two men on and a full count, Jonathan India fouled off four straight 3–2 pitches before lining an RBI single to left to tie the game at 2–2 in the bottom of the seventh. The patient at-bat set up Witt’s decisive sacrifice fly.

Up Next

• Twins return to Minnesota to begin a series against the Detroit Tigers. With Pablo López likely heading to the injured list, RHP Zebby Matthews is expected to be recalled from Triple-A to make his first MLB start. Detroit counters with RHP Reese Olson (1–1, 5.06 ERA).

• Royals travel to Cleveland to face the Guardians. Kansas City sends red-hot LHP Kris Bubic (2–0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound, while Cleveland counters with RHP Tanner Bibee (1–1, 6.52 ERA).

In a tightly contested AL Central battle, the Royals proved once again they can manufacture late-game offense and rely on a deepening bullpen to close out wins. With Bubic set to take the mound in Cleveland, Kansas City has a chance to carry its momentum into a critical divisional stretch.

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