Last-place Twins Score First But Somehow Lose to Royals, Who Avoid Sweep at Home

After a Saturday that saw the Royals add further horror to their putrid resume against last place teams, the Royals avoided the three-game sweep at home to the last place Twins this afternoon, scoring six runs off first-time starter Esmerling Vasquez and the Twins' bullpen thanks in large part to opportune hitting by Tony Abreu.

The win was particularly shocking because the Royals didn't score first. In fact, Royals ace Luis Mendoza allowed runs in the top of both the first and second innings before the Royals defied all odds and scored three runs in the bottom of the second, seizing the lead from the Twins. MendozACE didn't allow a run in the third, fourth, or fifth innings, and the Royals tagged on a run in the fifth as Billy Butler drove in David Lough on an RBI single. Unfortunately, Tim Collins allowed the Twins to tie the game up at four runs apiece in the top of the sixth when he came in to relieve the Majestically-Maned Mexican.

Thankfully, Tony Abreu--who clearly hasn't heard Ned Yost extol the vital importance of drawing first blood on the scoreboard--was around in the bottom of the sixth to bloop a Tyler Robertson pitch to shallow left-center field immediately following an Eric Hosmer double that drove Vasquez from the game. That marked Abreu's third hit of the game and resulted in his third run driven in, as he was also responsible for having driven in the second and third runs of the game, which coincidentally put the Royals ahead the first time they wrestled the lead from the Twins.

Miracles do happen, apparently. Wins can occur when not scoring first.