The Royals survived a dramatic ninth-inning rally to defeat the Twins 6-5 at Target Field, holding on after Minnesota scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to nearly complete an improbable comeback.
Noah Cameron anchored the victory with six innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits while striking out seven. The right-hander carried a 3.84 ERA and improved to 3-4 on the season, working efficiently through 104 pitches to give Kansas City the foundation for the win.
The Royals broke open a 1-1 tie with four runs in the fifth inning. Maikel Garcia singled home Carter Jensen to put Kansas City ahead, then Starling Marte launched a three-run homer 441 feet to center field, scoring Lane Thomas and Garcia to make it 5-1. Jensen added an insurance run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly that scored Vinnie Pasquantino.
Minnesota made it interesting in the ninth when Josh Bell crushed a three-run homer 442 feet to right field, scoring Orlando Arcia and Kody Clemens to cut the deficit to 6-4. Victor Caratini followed with an RBI single that scored Trevor Larnach, bringing the tying run to the plate before Lucas Erceg closed out his 12th save.
Kansas City snapped a losing streak to improve to 26-39, while Minnesota fell to 30-36. Bell sits one home run away from 200 career homers after his 1-for-4 performance with three RBIs.