MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota rookie Joe Ryan and reliever Jovani Moran combined to pitch no-hit ball until Bobby Witt Jr. doubled with one out in the ninth inning as the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Tuesday night.
Ryan was pulled after seven innings and 106 pitches, four shy of his big league high. There has never been a no-hitter at Target Field and the Royals hadn't come close to getting one against him.
The crowd of 19,005 booed when Twins manager Rocco Baldelli sent Moran to the mound to start the eighth.
Ryan tried to plead his case.
In fact, when he was a senior at Cal State Stanislaus, Ryan did throw 142 pitches in a game against Cal Poly Pomona in 2018.
Ryan said he understood Baldelli's rationale.
Moran worked a perfect eighth. He struck out Drew Waters to begin the ninth before walking pinch-hitter Hunter Dozier and MJ Melendez.
The Royals hadn't come close to a hit until Witt lined a 1-2 fastball for a clean drive to deep left for an RBI double, setting off more boos from the fans.
Sebastian Rivero followed with an infield hit that drove in another run and Vinnie Pasquantino had a sacrifice fly.
The Twins’ last no-hitter was by Francisco Liriano against the White Sox on May 3, 2011 in Chicago.
Carlos Correa, Jose Miranda and Gio Urshela hit home runs as the Twins snapped a three-game skid. They remained five games behind Cleveland in the AL Central.