Twins Rally Past the Royals
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins offense cracked the scoreboard with a late rally, rewarding starter Phil Hughes with his 13th win of the year, and topping the first-place Royals 4-1.
Hughes' strong start lasted into the eighth inning as he scattered seven hits, allowing only one run.
The Royals' electrifying rookie pitcher, Yordano Ventura, was just as effective - until the seventh inning.
The rally began with Twins shortstop Danny Santana grounding out to first with runners on second and third.
On the play, Kurt Suzuki executed a masterful slide past Royals' catcher Salvador Perez, tying the game at 1-1.
Brian Dozier followed that with an RBI double and Kennys Vargas later hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 3-1.
For good measure, Kurt Suzuki hit his third home run of the year the next inning, giving the Twins a three-run lead.
Glen Perkins capped the win with his 31st save of the year.
The rubber match of the series is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. today with the Twins' Tommy Milone making his second start for the team.