Twins fall to Royals in disastrous fashion after Bailey Ober's stellar start

Ober pitched seven innings of one-hit ball before the Royals plated four in the eighth.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober (17) pitches in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 7, 2024. / Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

Twins starter Bailey Ober had the Kansas City Royals' number Saturday night, but Twins relievers didn't, and it cost them in a critical 4-2 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Ober sent the last 15 batters he faced down in order and got through the seventh inning on just 83 pitches, but Twins manager Rocco Baldelli turned to his high-leverage relievers in Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax to protect a 2-0 lead and close out the game. They couldn't get it done.

Freddy Fermin hit a one-out single off Duran in the eighth inning, Duran then hit Robbie Grossman with a pitch and Kyle Isbel made him pay with an RBI single that made it a 2-1 ballgame.

That's when Baldelli turned to Jax, who got Tommy Pham to hit a chopper to short that Brooks Lee barehanded, but his throw to first was off the mark and it allowed Dairon Blanco, who pinch ran for Grossman, to score and knot the game. Bobby Witt Jr. hit an RBI single the next at-bat for the lead.

MJ Melendez hit another RBI single a couple at-bats later to provide an extra insurance run.

Ober had allowed just one hit all night before that, an infield single to Grossman in the third.

Royce Lewis, Lee and Ryan Jeffers went down in order in the ninth inning.

The Twins (76-66) plated both of their runs in the third inning, getting a two-out RBI triple from Jose Miranda followed by an RBI double from Matt Wallner for some early offense they didn’t find in Friday night’s loss to the Royals (78-65). Those were the only two runs given up by Alec Marsh, who allowed four hits in all while fanning five across five innings of work. 

The Twins are now 1.5 games back of the Royals in the American League Central standings.

The Twins and Royals meet for a potentially critical series finale at 1:10 p.m. on Sunday.