Kansas City, MO – Joe Ryan continued his remarkable dominance over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night, pitching seven scoreless innings and allowing just two hits as the Minnesota Twins cruised to a 4-0 victory. The win marked Ryan’s seventh in nine career starts against the Royals, further solidifying his reputation as a nemesis for the Kansas City squad.
Ryan (1-1) was in complete control, striking out four and issuing no walks across his stellar outing. His career ERA against the Royals now stands at an impressive 1.30 over 55 1/3 innings.
On the other side, Royals starter Seth Lugo (1-1) battled through 5 2/3 innings, throwing 109 pitches and surrendering two runs on five hits.
The Twins broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning. After Lugo walked Carlos Correa and Trevor Larnach with one out, Ty France lined a ball back to the pitcher. However, Edouard Julien followed up with an RBI single to right field, driving in Correa for the game’s first run.
Minnesota extended their lead in the sixth inning. With two outs, France delivered an RBI single, once again bringing Correa home to make it 2-0.
The Twins added insurance runs late in the game. Matt Wallner blasted his first home run of the season in the eighth inning, and France followed suit with his own solo shot in the ninth, capping off an impressive night for the veteran. France finished the game 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Notably, France boasts a stellar .412 batting average and a 1.154 OPS in 30 career games against the Royals, his best numbers against any opponent.
The Royals had a golden opportunity to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Bobby Witt Jr. led off with a double, but the momentum was quickly stifled when he was doubled up attempting to steal third base, failing to get back to second after Salvador Perez lined out to center field.
The four-game series between the Twins and Royals will conclude on Thursday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium. Minnesota is scheduled to send right-hander Bailey Ober (0-1, 12.15 ERA) to the mound, while the Royals will counter with righty Michael Wacha (0-2, 4.66 ERA). Pregame coverage will begin at 12:30 p.m. on SuperStar Country 102.5 FM & 1530 AM, with the first pitch slated for 1:10 p.m. CDT.
