{"id":2448221,"date":"2026-06-06T22:47:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T22:47:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2448221"},"modified":"2026-06-06T22:47:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T22:47:39","slug":"royals-score-two-in-the-ninth-to-top-twins-twin-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/royals-score-two-in-the-ninth-to-top-twins-twin-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"Royals score two in the ninth to top Twins \u2013 Twin Cities"},"content":{"rendered":"

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With first base open and the go-ahead run already in scoring position in the ninth inning, the Twins considered intentionally walking Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. before ultimately deciding against it.<\/p>\n

Witt looked at strike one from reliever Eric Orze. He challenged strike two, successfully overturning the call, before going down beneath the zone and lining the third pitch of his at-bat above the head of leaping shortstop Orlando Arcia. The ball landed in left field, Josh Rojas scored and that run proved the difference in the Twins\u2019 3-2 loss to the Royals on Saturday afternoon at Target Field.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe split was below the zone,\u201d manager Derek Shelton said of the pitch. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t even a strike. You\u2019re just talking about a really good player.\u201d<\/p>\n

Witt\u2019s single came after the Royals (26-39) had tied the game up one batter earlier. Orze, in for the save opportunity after Arcia had given the Twins\u2019 (30-36) an eighth-inning lead with a pinch-hit home run, allowed a single to begin the inning. Pinch runner Tyler Tolbert quickly swiped second.<\/p>\n

The next batter, Rojas, sent a ball back Orze\u2019s way. He fielded it and threw to second, trying to get Tolbert diving back into the base. He was unsuccessful.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my eyes, I just felt like in the moment, he was far enough off,\u201d Orze said. \u201cI trust myself to snap that throw over there, and he got back just in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

A sacrifice bunt advanced both runners and a sacrifice fly tied the game up before Witt came up and collected with the game-winning hit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I executed literally almost every pitch. I mixed well. I got to my locations,\u201d Orze said. \u201cI threw the ball hard. Everything was sharp. It was just one of those days where you give everything you\u2019ve got and baseball just kind of beats you sometimes. It\u2019s a tough one to swallow feeling like I threw the ball really well. It was just one of those that didn\u2019t go our way and I have to wear it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Twins still had a chance to win it after that with Kody Clemens doubling to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Victor Caratini was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for Royce Lewis, just recalled from Triple-A, to play hero with a pair of outs in the ninth. He ended up looking at strike three to end the game.<\/p>\n

It was a game in which the Twins finished with just four hits on the day \u2014 and none in the first four innings of the game. Tristan Gray\u2019s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning brought home the team\u2019s first run, but they were able to do little else against Royals starter Luinder Avila.<\/p>\n

Avila dueled with Joe Ryan, who said he felt \u201ca little off with the delivery,\u201d but still threw six innings and gave up just one run, which came on a solo home run to Carter Jensen to lead off the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cTough day kind of all around to score for both teams, I think,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cI\u2019m glad I could keep us in it for a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n