KANSAS CITY — Maikel Garcia hit a two-run homer and Michael Wacha pitched 5 2/3 strong innings as the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Friday night.
Garcia hit Pablo López’s first pitch high above the left-field bullpen after Vinnie Pasquantino singled with two out in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. Pasquantino and Garcia each had a pair of hits.
Brooks Lee and Jhonny Pereda hit consecutive doubles in the fifth inning for the Twins’ run. Pereda made his Twins debut behind the plate.
The Twins have lost five straight and have baseball’s worst record since the July 31 trade deadline at 11-22.
Wacha (9-11) allowed a run on four hits and two walks, striking out five. He has allowed fewer than three runs in nine of his 10 career starts against the Twins.
Carlos Estévez earned his major league-best 38th save with help from a sliding catch by center fielder Kyle Isbel.
Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. left the game after six innings due to low back spasms.
The shortstop made two defensive plays, on ground balls, in the top half of the sixth inning, then exited before the Royals took the field in the seventh.
“(It happened) sometime in that inning before we took him out,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “He talked to (Royals head athletic trainer Kyle Turner). As he sat there, it got worse.”
With the Royals leading 2-1, Witt was replaced in the lineup by Nick Loftin, playing third base while Garcia shifted to shortstop.
Quatraro offered no prognosis on Witt’s return.
“Right now we just think it’s back spasms, low back spasms,” Quatraro said. “It locked up pretty good on him.”
Witt was hitless in three at-bats with one strikeout.
López (5-4) returned from injury for his first start in three months, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings, striking out four. López was placed on the 15-day Injured List on June 4 with a right shoulder strain.
Through the first seven games of their current homestand, the Royals are 2-for-26 with runners in scoring position while scoring 10-of-14 runs via home runs.
Twins RHP Joe Ryan (13-7, 3.08 ERA) opposes Royals RHP Stephen Kolek (4-5, 3.99) tonight.
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