Twins host home run derby, forgot to tell Royals who lose 11-3

I’m not sure how many people expected the Royals to win this game. I can’t think it was a lot of people. Things looked bad after the first inning. Danny Duffy gave up a two-run home run to Nelson Cruz, that inning. But you’d be forgiven for thinking the game might end up being competitive after the top of the second inning. Jorge Soler led off the inning by launching a mammoth blast into the third deck in left field. A short time later Meibrys Viloria slapped a two-strike pitch past the short stop and scored Nicky Lopez. The game was tied.

Then came the bottom of the second. The Twins hit three more home runs. C.J. Cron went deep off the top of the second deck (very high up) in centerfield. Jorge Polanco brought home two of his friends with a blast to left and the scoring was capped off by another home run from Nelson Cruz. Any hope that had been built from the top of the inning was gone.

The Twins scored two more in the fifth off of Duffy without a home run. Jorge López came on in relief. He gave up another two-run home run to Nelson Cruz in the sixth.

In the seventh inning Kyle Gibson decided to make things interesting by pitching most of the inning with the bases loaded. Jorge Soler scored on a Meibrys Viloria fielder’s choice ground ball but that was the only damage the Royals could get done before a reliever came in and finished things off.

The Royals will try to avoid being swept tomorrow when Brad Keller faces off against Jake Odorizzi at 1:10 PM CDT.