Kansas City Royals Drop a Doubleheader to the Minnesota Twins

Evidently, the Kansas City Royals can only beat contending teams.

Kansas City finished a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. Earlier in August, they took five of six games from the Chicago White Sox. With the AL Central currently showing just one game separating the leading White Sox from the second-place Tigers, each of those games loom large.

Watching the games against Detroit and Chicago, one couldn't help but wonder "How is their record so bad when they look so talented?"

Today, that question was answered. They lost to the Minnesota Twins more times today than they lost to the Tigers and White Sox in August.

In game one of the doubleheader in Kaufman Stadium today, Twins pitcher Cole De Vries continued his mastery of the Royals. The native Minnesotan rookie has four career victories. Only one of them was against a team other than the Royals. He pitched into the seventh inning letting up only one run and got the win in the 3-1 opening victory for the Twins.

In the second half of the doubleheader, the Twins got off to an 8-2 second-inning lead, thanks in part to a three-run homer by Chris Parmelee and a grand slam by Joe Mauer. The Royals tried to come back but fell just short as the Twins won, 8-7.

Not a lot was at stake in the game other than positioning in the AL Central.

But take heart, Royals fans. Once the Twins leave town, they have series against the Texas Rangers, White Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, all contending teams. No doubt the Royals will win most of those series. That's what they do to contenders.