Young's near no-no powers KC past Minnesota, back into first place
MINNEAPOLIS -- Through the first 115 minutes of Tuesday's 2-0 Royals win over Minnesota, Chris Young steered himself toward one of the most unlikely and improbable feats. He had directed his 36-year-old arm through 6 1/3 innings of no-hit ball, just eight outs from the unexpected.
Young failed to top 88 mph with his fastball and struck out just two Twins. But he stood on the Target Field mound a tick past 9 p.m. Tuesday with a shot at history.
Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe stole the no-hit bid. The 23-foot-wall stole Plouffe's chance to knot the game. Plouffe stung Young's 83rd pitch of the night off the top of the right-field wall, the ball caroming past Alex Rios and allowing Plouffe to cruise into third with a triple.
"I was lucky he didn't hit it out," Young said.
The no-hitter was over. The Twins were shocked back to life. The game was on the line. Young was done.
Kansas City had wasted opportunities all game against Minnesota starter Trevor May. They squeezed out seven hits against May. He gifted them a trio of walks and three wild pitches. But the offense pushed just one run, leaving Young with a precarious lead to maneuver with.
Plouffe represented the tying run 90 feet away from destroying a precious one-run lead. Royals manager Ned Yost was prepared to ride out Young's no-hit bid, but that blueprint was crumpled with one pitch.
"Everything changed when Plouffe hit the ball an inch from going out of the ballpark and he ended up having a triple," Yost said.
Yost summoned left-hander Franklin Morales, who induced a groundout from Eddie Rosario to hold Plouffe at third. Morales departed after two pitches, his job against a left-handed hitter accomplished.
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Yost called on Kelvin Herrera to finish the inning. Two pitches later, he did. Kurt Suzuki pulled a 97-mph fastball deep into the hole at shortstop, Alcides Escobar making a slick backhand grab. He bounced the long throw to Eric Hosmer at first, who swiftly picked the ball. The play saved the run and preserved Kansas City's slim edge.
"Those guys are unbelievable," Young said. "Every night, they make unbelievable plays and they almost make them so easily that you take it for granted."
The Royals' third straight win vaulted them back into sole possession of first place in the American League Central, owning a one-game lead over Minnesota prior to the series finale Wednesday night.
Young had cruised through his first 10 appearances this season, four of them starts. He owned a sparkling 0.78 ERA to match his 4-0 record. But then he allowed 11 runs in 10 innings across his next two starts, saddled with his first two losses of the season.
He gave up two home runs to the Yankees on May 27 and one to the Indians on June 4. Those lines were much more frightening for the Royals than his 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball on Tuesday night.
"In Yankee Stadium, there were two balls that beat me," Young said. "Against the Indians, there were two pitches that beat me. Tonight, there probably could have been two pitches that would have beaten me, too. It's a weird game."
Catcher Salvador Perez -- who launched a solo homer in the ninth to give Kansas City an insurance run -- said Young's fastball command was good Tuesday, his 88-mph four-seamer sneaking up on hitters.
Plouffe's triple was the Twins' only hit. Minnesota had just one more baserunner the rest of the game against Morales, Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland. Both Davis and Holland threw for the third consecutive day, the first time this season for both relievers.
"I just felt it was our best opportunity to win that ballgame," Yost said of using Davis and Holland.
Kansas City squandered opportunities throughout the game. In four different innings, the Royals stranded runners in scoring position -- part of nine overall left on base. They had three runners erased on the basepaths and struck out three times with a man at second.
Young and the Kansas City relievers ensured the unused chances wouldn't matter. But the offense has still struggled recently, despite a three-game winning streak. The club is averaging just 2.29 runs in its last 14 games.
"Over the course of the year, the offense will pick up the pitching," Yost said. "And at times, the pitching has to pick up the offense. That was definitely the case tonight."
You can follow Matthew DeFranks on Twitter at @MDeFranks or email him at matthew.defranks@gmail.com.
