‘Never say die.’ Kansas City Royals start a winning streak by again defeating Twins
The ball off Hunter Dozier’s bat was lifted just 271 feet to left field, but that was all speedy Royals catcher Salvador Perez needed.
Perez bolted from third base and scored well ahead of the throw from the Twins’ Alex Kirilloff in Saturday’s game at Kauffman Stadium. En route to the dugout, Perez mimicked running with an immense smile on his face.
That gave the Royals a four-run lead, more than enough as they beat Minnesota 6-3.
You can’t beat fun at the ol’ ballpark, which seems to be a mantra Perez lives by. That is especially true while winning. The Royals, who ended a nine-game losing streak on Friday night, won their second in a row.
Starting pitcher Danny Duffy sensed the team was having fun and not letting their past troubles keep them down.,
“Obviously it’s a lot more fun to win,” Duffy said after Saturday’s game. “We’ve done our fair share of losing as of late. I love seeing the guys never give up, never say die.”
And enjoying themselves.
Second baseman Hanser Alberto had two hits, including a fifth-inning single to center. After rounding first, Alberto ran halfway to second, faking a bold move, knowing well that no one was covering first behind him.
And Royals left fielder Edward Olivares mashed a two-run homer to left field as part of a four-run fourth inning that turned a 2-0 deficit into a lead.
It was Olivares’ first home run this year with the Royals, and his teammates in the dugout, especially Perez, were thrilled.
A Salvy Splash capped the afternoon fun as he doused relief pitcher Scott Barlow, who closed out the victory. In the clubhouse, music blared for a second straight day.
“We will not get tired of that. It does not get old,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “You hear the guys celebrating each other, they kind of point out who did something really special each day, and each day we’re getting new guys that are doing something to contribute to help us win.”
All the Royals’ runs came against Twins rookie starter Griffin Jax, who pitched five innings.
Duffy allowed two runs on six hits in four innings. Five relievers pitched an inning each, allowing one run collectively.
Barlow shut the door for his fourth save. Kyle Zimmer, who replaced Duffy, was chosen as the winner.
The Royals, 35-47, have pushed the memory of a miserable 4-21 stretch that had seen them stumble into last place in the AL Central. But with Saturday’s win following Friday’s victory, the Royals have assured themselves of a winning series with the Twins.
And the Royals moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Twins, who are in the Central basement.
“As a direct result of playing the way we played (Friday) night, we’re learning more and more what we’re capable of,” Duffy said. “It’s never a lack of confidence, but until you just do it and take the bull by the horns, it’s tough sledding if you don’t execute.
“We’ve been executing the last two games and it’s been good to see the guys carry themselves even further to a higher standard. Even in that losing streak, there was no lack of confidence, we just weren’t putting it together. So to be able to do that the way we have the last two games is a good thing. It’s a good start and we need to continue down this path.”
This story was originally published July 3, 2021 at 6:21 PM with the headline "‘Never say die.’ Kansas City Royals start a winning streak by again defeating Twins."
