KANSAS CITY—The Minnesota Twins used home runs from Byron Buxton and Kody Clemens to defeat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Sunday, further complicating the Royals’ push for a postseason spot.
With the loss, the Royals (73-69) fell two games behind the Seattle Mariners (75-68) for the third and final American League wild card spot.
Buxton wasted no time, launching his 30th home run of the season on the first pitch of the game against Royals pitcher Michael Lorenzen (5-10). The homer extended his career-high total. Buxton, however, exited the game in the fifth inning after being hit by a 91.8 mph sinker, suffering a bruised left knee.
Kody Clemens provided a more sizable cushion for the Twins in the fourth inning with a 451-foot drive, his 16th of the year, giving Minnesota a 3-0 lead. The Twins added another run in the same inning on a successful double steal.
Twins starter Bailey Ober (5-7) was effective, allowing just one run and four hits over 5 1/3 innings to earn the win. Lorenzen was tagged for four runs and five hits in his 5 1/3 innings of work.
The Royals’ lone run came in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Vinnie Pasquantino. They threatened in the eighth, bringing the potential tying run to the plate, but Kody Funderburk struck out Pasquantino and Justin Topa forced a groundout from Salvador Perez to end the threat.
The Royals now look to bounce back on the road with a four-game series against the Cleveland Guardians. Ryan Bergert (2-1, 2.61 ERA) is scheduled to start for Kansas City, facing off against Slade Cecconi (5-6, 4.78 ERA) for Cleveland.
American League Wild Card Standings
| Team | Wins | Losses | PCT | Games Back (WCGB) |
| New York Yankees | 80 | 63 | .559 | +5.0 |
| Boston Red Sox | 79 | 65 | .549 | +3.5 |
| Seattle Mariners | 75 | 68 | .524 | — |
| Texas Rangers | 74 | 70 | .514 | 1.5 |
| Kansas City Royals | 73 | 70 | .510 | 2.0 |
| Cleveland Guardians | 72 | 70 | .507 | 2.5 |
