MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kody Clemens hit a game-ending grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Thursday after being no-hit by Noah Cameron until the seventh.
After Cameron threw eight shutout innings in his career-long start, Royals closer Lucas Erceg retired the first two batters, then hit Ryan Jeffers with a 2-0 pitch.
Royce Lewis singled, Josh Bell walked to load the bases and Matt Strahm
(3-4) relieved Erceg before Clemens smacked his 0-2 slider into the flower box above right-center field for his second career slam and the sixth walk-off grand slam in Twins history. Brian Dozier had the last one in 2018.
Cameron threw 97 pitches, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out seven batters and stretching his individual streak to 16 consecutive scoreless innings. Jeffers hit a clean single to right-center field to start the seventh and end the bid for Kansas City's first no-hitter since Bret Saberhagen in 1991.
Jac Caglianone hit a two-run home run off Twins starter Bailey Ober in the third inning, and the Royals added an unearned run in the fifth. Ober went six innings with four hits and two walks allowed.
Twins closer Yoendrys Gómez pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory. Minnesota (55-55) improved to 10-2-1 in 13 series since June 12.
Last-place Kansas City (46-64) had won eight of 13 games coming out of the All-Star break.
Kansas City begins a three-game series at Colorado on Friday. RHP Michael Wacha (5-7, 3.60 ERA) pitches for the Royals. RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (10-4, 4.69) takes the mound for the Rockies.
Minnesota starts a nine-game road trip in Seattle on Friday. RHP Zebby Matthews (4-8, 5.21) pitches for the Twins. RHP Bryce Miller (4-5, 2.75) takes the mound for the Mariners.
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