Twins beat Royals 8-3 with home runs by Castro and Lewis in 6-run 2nd inning off Singer

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – On Monday night, the Minnesota Twins opened a crucial series against the Kansas City Royals with an impressive 8-3 win, bolstered by a powerful six-run second inning. Willi Castro smashed a three-run home run, while Royce Lewis added a two-run shot, both contributing significantly to the Twins’ offensive explosion.

Twins’ starter Pablo López (11-8) pitched six solid innings, allowing two earned runs and securing his third victory in his last four starts. Despite an early setback with a first-inning homer from Bobby Witt Jr. and an RBI single from Kyle Isbel in the second, López and the Twins’ offense turned the game around. Isbel, who finished with three hits, initially put the Royals ahead, but the Twins soon overpowered Royals’ starter Brady Singer (8-8).

With the win, the Twins improved their season record to 6-2 against the Royals and remain 3.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central race, after splitting a four-game series with Cleveland over the weekend. The Royals, now five games back, are currently in third place.

The Twins (66-52) hold the second AL wild card spot, while the Royals (65-54) occupy the third spot, with a two-game buffer above the wild card cutoff. This marks the Royals’ first serious playoff push since their 2015 World Series victory.

Singer, who had been excellent in his first three starts after the All-Star break, struggled in his recent outings. Against the Twins, six consecutive batters reached base with two outs in the second inning. Austin Martin kickstarted the rally with an RBI single, followed by Castro’s career-high ninth home run, which saw his helmet fall off as he rounded second base in celebration. Lewis capped the inning with his 15th home run of the season after an eight-pitch battle.

Witt was hit by a 95 mph fastball from López but managed to stay in the game despite the impact.

**UP NEXT**

– **Royals:** RHP Seth Lugo (13-6, 2.72 ERA) is slated to pitch on Tuesday night. Lugo, who leads MLB in wins and is second in innings pitched, has been stellar on the road this season with an 8-2 record and a 2.37 ERA in 12 starts.

– **Twins:** RHP Zebby Matthews is set to make his major league debut in the second game of the series. Matthews, who began the year in Class A and was recently promoted from Triple-A St. Paul, will fill the spot vacated by the injured Joe Ryan. The North Carolina native, an eighth-round draft pick in 2022, was seen in the clubhouse on Monday afternoon and is expected to have a group of at least 20 family and friends in attendance at Target Field on Tuesday.

(Photo courtesy of Twins/MLB)