Royals hold off Twins 6-5 after star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. exits with sore knee

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Starling Marte hit a three-run homer to back six strong innings from Noah Cameron, and the Kansas City Royals held off the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Sunday to take three of four games in the series.

Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. left in the seventh with right knee soreness after going 0 for 4. He struck out three times one day after driving in the go-ahead run in the ninth.

Minnesota scored four times in the ninth inning Sunday, including Josh Bell’s three-run homer, before Lucas Erceg retired Brooks Lee with a runner on second for the final out.

Marte launched his first home run in his first season with Kansas City, capping a four-run fifth and helping the Royals finish a 5-5 trip that started with three straight losses at Texas.

Cameron (3-4) allowed just three hits and an unearned run. He struck out seven, including all three batters in a shutdown fifth.

Kody Clemens singled off Cameron to begin the second and stole second. Clemens advanced on Witt’s fielding error and scored on Ryan Kreidler’s forceout.

Twins rookie Connor Prielipp (2-4) went 4 1/3 innings in his ninth start, allowing two runs and four hits, including back-to-back doubles by Vinnie Pasquantino and Nick Loftin that tied it 1-all in the fourth.

Andrew Morris entered and gave up a single to Lane Thomas before Witt struck out looking after a failed ABS challenge for the second out. Maikel Garcia followed with a go-ahead single before Marte homered to make it 5-1.

Pasquantino singled in the eighth before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Carter Jensen.

Making his second big league appearance, Royals reliever Beck Way was charged with four runs in the ninth. He got just one out and allowed Bell’s sixth homer that cut it to 6-4.

Erceg gave up Victor Caratini’s RBI single that pulled the Twins within a run before retiring Lee on a fly to left field for his 12th save in 18 opportunities.

Up next

The Twins will start RHP Taj Bradley (5-2, 3.56 ERA) in Tuesday’s opener at Detroit opposite RHP Troy Melton (2-0, 1.74).

The Royals will start RHP Stephen Kolek (3-1, 3.32 ERA) in Tuesday’s opener against RHP Nathan Eovaldi (5-6, 4.10) and the visiting Texas Rangers.

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