Kansas City Royals vs Minnesota Twins Match Player Stats On Sep 01, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 1, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Moustakas hit a three-run homer and Brandon Moss added a two-run shot as the Kansas City Royals took the first game of a pivotal weekend series against Minnesota with a 7-6 win over the Twins.

Melky Cabrera added four hits for Kansas City, which trails Minnesota by 3 1/2 games for the second wild card in the American League. The Royals won for just the second time in eight games and snapped the Twins' four-game win streak.

Jason Hammel (7-10) held Minnesota in check after a tough start and lasted 6 1/3 innings, surrendering four runs and seven hits. Kelvin Herrera allowed two runs in the ninth on Joe Mauer's single before leaving with a trainer. Scott Alexander struck out Eddie Rosario to leave the bases loaded and secure his second save.

Dillon Gee (1-2) had another short start, going just 2 2/3 innings while giving up five runs, six hits and three walks for the Twins.

Brian Dozier had two hits and scored two runs for Minnesota, which was coming off a sweep of the Chicago White Sox after a ninth-inning rally on Thursday.

The Twins kept their momentum going early, scoring twice in the first inning.

Dozier led off with a double and Jorge Polanco continued his hot stretch with a long homer to the second deck in right field.

Gee stranded two runners in the first and then couldn't escape the third. Alcides Escobar led off with a double, Lorenzo Cain hit an RBI single and Cabrera lined an RBI double to the left-field wall.

Two batters later, Moustakas hammered his 36th homer of the season, a three-run shot.

The homer tied Moustakas with Steve Balboni for the most home runs in a season in Royals history. Balboni set the mark in 1985.

Minnesota got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Polanco's sacrifice fly scored Dozier.

NOTES: Minnesota had a retirement ceremony for former closer Joe Nathan, who signed a one-day contract before the game to retire as a member of the team. Nathan is the franchise career leader with 260 saves in seven seasons. ... Minnesota CF Byron Buxton was out of the lineup for the second straight game with a hand contusion, but he entered in the ninth inning as a pinch-runner and hit in the cage earlier. ... Kansas City called up five players as rosters expanded for September: OFs Terrance Gore and Paulo Orlando, INF Raul Mondesi, C Cam Gallagher and RHP Andres Machadao. The Royals also transferred LHP Brian Flynn to the 60-day disabled list, reinstated RHP Trevor Cahill from the 10-day DL, claimed RHP Sam Gaviglio off waivers from Seattle and released RHP Neftali Feliz. ... The Twins recalled LHPs Buddy Boshers and Nik Turley along with INF Niko Goodrum.