By Brian Hall
MINNEAPOLIS — Max Kepler hit a two-run homer to support another strong start from Randy Dobnak, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Sunday.
Dobnak, the surprise right-hander who was promoted four levels last season before making a postseason start, continued his impressive run in 2020 with two runs allowed, both on solo homers, in 5 1/3 innings. Dobnak (4-1) gave up just three hits, while his ERA rose from a majors-best 0.90 to 1.42.
Alex Avila doubled, walked twice and scored a pair of runs for Minnesota, which has won four of six after being swept in Kansas City last week. Sergio Romo collected his third save.
Rookie Brady Singer (1-2) allowed three runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Royals. Hunter Dozier and Alex Gordon each hit solo home runs to give Kansas City a 2-0 lead after two innings.
Dobnak was undrafted, pitched in an independent league and was an Uber driver before his 2019 breakout. He entered Sunday’s game with just two runs allowed in 20 innings this season and had given up just one home run in 48 1/3 innings in the majors.
Dozier greeted him with a two-out, opposite-field homer in the first, and Gordon followed with another solo shot in the second.
Dobnak retired the next 11 batters he faced.
Avila walked to start the third. He went to second on a wild pitch and third on a balk from Singer before scoring on a groundout. Avila walked again to start the fifth before Kepler hit his sixth homer of the year.
RARE TROUBLE
Tyler Clippard relieved Dobnak with two runners on in the sixth. Dozier hit a sinking liner to left field that was snagged by Eddie Rosario. Rosario doubled off Whit Merrifield from second with the runners moving on the pitch to end the inning.
Minnesota relievers entered the day facing just nine inherited runners in 21 games. Only the St. Louis Cardinals, limited to seven games due to a coronavirus outbreak, had inherited fewer. Only one inherited runner has scored against Twins relievers this season.
STUCK IN A RUT
Jorge Soler struck out three times. He extended his streak to eight straight at-bats ending in a strikeout before singling in the seventh. Soler started the day tied for second in the majors with 30 strikeouts. Seattle’s Evan White was the leader with 35.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: C Salvador Pérez was scratched from the lineup before the game due to blurry vision in his left eye. … Right-hander Jakob Junis was placed on the injured list, retroactive to Aug. 13, with lower back spasms. Junis was scheduled to be the primary pitcher in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader but was scratched with back spasms and low back discomfort. C Meibrys Viloria was recalled and started Sunday in place of Pérez.
Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli wasn’t ready to announce his team’s starting rotation for the upcoming home series about Milwaukee, but he did say that LHP Rich Hill is likely to slot in one of the three games. Hill has been out since July 31 with left shoulder fatigue.
UP NEXT
Rookie LHP Kris Bubic (0-2, 5.40 ERA) will start the series finale for Kansas City on Monday. Minnesota has not announced a starter for the game. Bubic, a first-round pick in 2018, will be making his fourth career start. He gave up five runs in five innings at Cincinnati in his previous outing.
*Associated Press
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