Royals beat Twins 8-6 on Rojas' ninth-inning heroics

In a dramatic series opener, the Kansas City Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 8-6 on Thursday night at Target Field, with newcomer Josh Rojas delivering a decisive two-run single in the ninth inning. The victory, which included a lengthy rain delay, gave the Royals their third win in four games against Minnesota this season.

Rojas, recalled from Triple-A Omaha earlier in the day, entered the game as a pinch-hitter with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning against Twins reliever Justin Lawrence. He lined a single up the middle to break a 6-6 tie, scoring Lane Thomas and Tyler Tolbert. The Royals’ bullpen then secured the win, with Matt Strahm earning the victory after a scoreless inning of relief and Alex Lange recording his second save of the season.

The game’s outcome was preceded by a day of extraordinary travel for Rojas, who had played a Triple-A game in Ohio on Thursday afternoon before rushing to catch a flight to Minneapolis. He arrived at the ballpark during a rain delay that halted play for one hour and seven minutes in the middle of the sixth inning.

That delay came just after the Royals had mounted a three-run rally to take a 6-5 lead. Trailing 5-3,...