KANSAS CITY — Byron Buxton and Kody Clemens homered Sunday afternoon and the Minnesota Twins beat Kansas City 5-1 to drop the Royals two games back for the last A.L. wild card spot.
Kansas City (73-69) fell two games behind Seattle (75-68) for the third A.L. wild card position.
Buxton led off the game against Michael Lorenzen (5-10) with his 30th homer, extending his career high. He was hit by a 91.8-mph sinker in the fifth inning and was replaced for the bottom of the sixth because of what the Twins said was a bruised left knee.
Buxton has 17 leadoff homers in his career, including eight this season.
Clemens hit his 16th homer in the fourth, a 451-drive that gave Minnesota a 3-0 lead. Minnesota padded its advantage in the fourth with a double steal, with Royce Lewis on first and Luke Keaschall on third.
Bailey Ober (5-7) gave up one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings,
Lorenzen allowed four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Kansas City scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s RBI single in the sixth.
The Royals had the potential tying run at the plate with one out in the eighth before Kody Funderburk struck out Pasquantino and Justin Topa retired Salvador Perez on a groundout.
Twins RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (5-4, 4.53 ERA) starts today against the Los Angeles Angels and RHP Caden Dana (0-0, 4.91).
Royals RHP Ryan Bergert (2-1, 2.61) will be on the mound today for the start of a four-game series at Cleveland, which starts RHP Slade Cecconi (5-6, 4.78).
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