A week without driving in a run was all Jose Miranda could take.
The rookie infielder, 0-for-6 in his most recent at-bats with runners in scoring position, ended his week of frustration by lining a two-strike curveball from Royals starter Kris Bubic into right field during Monday's fifth inning. It dropped in front of Royals outfielder MJ Melendez, allowing Luis Arraez to score the tying run from third base, and the Twins went on to snap their two-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory at Target Field.
"I needed one," Miranda said, after going without an RBI on last week's tour of Southern California. "I'll see if I can get a streak now with RBIs."
Maybe he will, but the Twins were more intent on snapping ugly streaks than starting good ones on Monday. Max Kepler put his 0-for-29 slump to rest when he singled home Jorge Polanco in the second inning, a hit that also ended the Twins' teamwide string of 19 straight futile at-bats with runners in scoring position.
And in the fifth inning, Polanco followed Miranda's timely hit with a sacrifice fly that brought Carlos Correa home from third, putting the Twins ahead for good. Joe Ryan and three relievers held Kansas City scoreless the rest of the way, and the Twins won for only the second time in seven games and reduced their AL Central deficit to two games behind Cleveland.
It was a surprisingly passionate victory for the Twins, who came home frustrated over an offense that failed them in losing four of five in California. Players pumped their fists at big hits or critical outs, and a celebration erupted after Tim Beckham snuffed a possible Royals rally in the ninth by turning a slick 3-6-3 double play.
"First time in my career I've made that play," Beckham said after catching Correa's relay to end the game. "When you've been around awhile, you run the plays through in your head before the play is even made."
Miranda's hit delivered the 48th run of his season, moving him into third place in RBI among the Twins, just seven short of Polanco's team-leading 55. What's remarkable is that Miranda spent all of April in the minor leagues, and drove in only seven runs in May.
"Good hitters who are not hesitant when they get to the plate in those situations, they have the ability to drive in a few more runs," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "I say this all the time, but he adjusts to different pitches well. He can start in one place in the zone, and end in a completely different part of the zone and hit a line drive somewhere. You don't see that very often."
His midseason surge has made Miranda one of the most productive and dependable rookies in Twins history. Miranda's 48 RBI in the first 77 games of his career are bettered only by Kent Hrbek, Miguel Sano and Kepler, each of whom drove in 52 runs in that span of their careers.
Kepler wound up with two singles and a double on his streak-ending night, scoring on Gary Sanchez's sixth inning single, just his second RBI in two weeks.
That was enough of a cushion for Ryan, who beat the Royals for the third time this season. Ryan, who had allowed 17 runs in his previous three starts, started in alarming fashion again, surrendering a first-inning single to Salvador Perez, then leaving a 92-mph fastball in the middle of the strike zone. Vinnie Pasquantino slugged the mistake 411 feet onto the plaza in right field, and Kansas City had an early 2-0 lead.
Ryan allowed at least one baserunner in each of the six innings he appeared in, but each time got critical outs to hold the Royals at two runs. When Pasquantino reached third base on Michael Massey's double in the sixth inning, Caleb Thielbar was called upon to record the final two outs.
He did, getting former Twins teammate Brent Rooker on a popup to left field, and striking out pinch hitter Michael A. Taylor, with Thielbar pumping his fist in celebration at Taylor's weak swing at a curveball for strike three.
"He knew what a big spot that was, and he knew how important it was for us to get through that inning and not give up anything," Baldelli said. "He made the pitches, so he can do the fist pump."
