Michael Wacha delivered seven shutout innings as the Kansas City Royals got past the visiting Minnesota Twins 2-0 on Sunday afternoon, completing a three-game weekend sweep.
Despite allowing two hits and a walk in a difficult first inning, Wacha escaped unscathed when right fielder Hunter Renfroe threw out Jose Miranda trying to score on Trevor Larnach’s double.
Wacha (12-7) faced the minimum thereafter to earn his 100th career victory in his 12th season. He allowed four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts and has allowed three runs or less in 17 of his last 19 starts, going 11-3 in that span.
MJ Melendez walked and Freddy Fermin singled to open the Royals’ fifth inning. Unable to execute a sacrifice bunt, Maikel Garcia slapped an infield single to second, loading the bases, and Garrett Hampson followed with a sacrifice fly to left, breaking the scoreless tie.
Tommy Pham walked to load the bases again and, with two out, Salvador Perez tapped an infield hit along the third base for a 2-0 lead. Three of the Royals’ six hits came in the fifth inning, two of them infield hits.
Kris Bubic pitched a hitless eighth and Lucas Erceg had a strikeout in the ninth to earn his 11th save, and eighth with Kansas City.
The Royals completed their ninth sweep of the season, most in the American League, and have won four straight on the heels of a season-high seven-game losing streak. Kansas City trails first-place Cleveland by 2 1/2 games entering Monday.
Simeon Woods Richardson (5-4) allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. He has issued multiple walks in seven of his last eight starts.
Christian Vazquez had three singles for the Twins, who had five hits in the game and 14 for the series.
Minnesota was shut out for the 10th time and third in the last nine games.
Scoring two runs in the series and getting swept for the eighth time, the Twins (76-67) have lost five of six, falling 2 1/2 games behind the second-place Royals (79-65).
–Field Level Media
