The Twins opened their first divisional series of the season looking to bounce back after dropping two of three to the Baltimore Orioles. Instead, it was more of the same frustrating formula as Minnesota fell to the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in a game that felt all too familiar.
Both teams entered the day at 1-2, with the Royals turning to left-hander Kris Bubic while the Twins handed the ball to Simeon Woods Richardson for his season debut. The right-hander delivered a strong outing, giving the Twins exactly what they needed on the mound. Woods Richardson worked five innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and a walk while striking out two. He was efficient and limited damage, though he generated just six swings and misses on the night.
The only real blemish came in the second inning when Kyle Isbel connected on a two-run home run that put Kansas City in front. Outside of that swing, Woods Richardson kept the Royals in check and gave Minnesota a chance to stay in the game.
The Twins actually struck first in that same inning thanks to Matt Wallner, who launched a solo home run into the fountains in right-center field to lead things off. It was Wallner’s first home run of the season and just the eighth of his career against a left-handed pitcher. At the time, it looked like a sign that the Twins might be able to string together some early offense against Bubic.
That hope didn’t last long.
After Wallner’s blast, the Twins’ offense went quiet for the remainder of the night. Minnesota managed just three more hits the rest of the way, all singles off the bats of Austin Martin, Brooks Lee, and Ryan Jeffers. The Twins had only one opportunity with a runner in scoring position and failed to capitalize, never seriously threatening again.
In relief of Woods Richardson, Kyle Funderburk provided some swing and miss out of the bullpen. The left-hander struck out three over an inning and a third, but he also allowed a solo home run to Isaac Collins that extended the Royals lead to 3-1. That would be all the breathing room Kansas City needed.
Justin Topa and Taylor Rogers followed with scoreless outings to keep things close, continuing what was an overall solid night from the pitching staff. The Twins allowed just three runs on seven hits across eight innings, more than enough to win on most days.
This just wasn’t one of them.
The game had the feel of the early 2025 Twins, with a quick burst of momentum early followed by long stretches of quiet at the plate. A quality start went to waste, and a winnable game slipped away without much resistance from the offense.
What’s Next
Minnesota will have an off day to regroup before continuing the series on Wednesday. The Twins have yet to name a starter, while Kansas City is expected to send left-hander Noah Cameron to the mound.
Postgame Interviews
(Coming Soon)
Bullpen Usage Chart
THU
FRI
SAT
SUN
MON
TOT
Abel
0
0
0
81
0
81
Topa
18
0
12
0
10
30
Funderburk
17
0
13
0
26
30
Orze
0
0
21
0
0
21
Banda
0
0
15
3
0
18
Sands
0
0
16
0
0
16
Rogers
10
0
0
0
14
10
Laweryson
0
0
0
0
0
0
Kent
0
0
0
0
0
0