Joe Ryan delivers gem as Twins blank Royals 4-0 to end losing streak at three

Bobby Nightengale, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Apr 9, 2025

Published in Baseball

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Minnesota Twins still aren’t playing their cleanest games, but Joe Ryan rescued a reeling team with his outing Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Ryan gave the Twins their strongest start of the season, permitting two baserunners across seven innings in a 4-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Matt Wallner and Ty France added their first home runs this year, ending the Twins’ losing streak at three games.

The Twins expect their starting rotation to be a strength. One day after Pablo López exited a start because of a mild hamstring strain, Ryan showed how he plans to fill the void. He retired his final 11 batters, overpowering the Royals with primarily his fastball and splitter.

Ryan, who missed the last two months of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury, struck out his first two batters to set the tone. He remained on the attack, throwing a first-pitch strike to 16 of his 22 batters. He was efficient with only one inning where he threw more than 13 pitches.

When Ryan gave up a one-out single in the third inning, he proceeded to induce two ground balls. Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. blooped a leadoff double down the right-field line in the fourth inning, but Witt was doubled off second base when he attempted to steal third as Salvador Perez lined out to center.

It was the sixth time in Ryan’s career he completed at least seven scoreless innings in a start. Considering the Twins’ horrid start to the season, it may not have come at a better time.

The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, their first lead since the ninth inning Sunday, after Carlos Correa and Trevor Larnach drew eight-pitch walks against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo. After Ty France lined out to Lugo, Edouard Julien ended an eight-pitch at-bat with a line drive single to right field.

Correa scored from second base as Royals right fielder Hunter Renfroe opted to throw behind Larnach, inducing a rundown on the basepaths for the final out of the inning. In a microcosm of the season, even on good plays for the Twins, something went wrong.

The Twins made another baserunning mistake to end the fifth inning. Christian Vázquez hit a two-out double to left field, then was picked off second base when Lugo was in a 2-1 count to Matt Wallner. Vázquez lay on his back as Royals infielders celebrated running off the field.

Lugo, who was runner-up in the American League Cy Young voting last year, surrendered another run during a two-out rally in the sixth inning. Correa dropped a double down the left-field line and advanced to third on a wild pitch. The Royals opted to intentionally walk Larnach when he was in a 3-1 count, and France followed with an RBI single to right field in a two-strike count.

Wallner opened the eighth inning with a solo homer off lefty reliever Sam Long, bashing a slider that carried a few feet over the right field wall.

In the ninth inning, France lifted a low slider from Royals reliever Chris Stratton into the Twins’ bullpen beyond the left field wall.

The Twins snapped a six-game losing streak to the Royals that dated to last season. It was their longest losing streak to their division rival since 2016.

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