MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kody Clemens hit a game-ending grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning as the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Thursday after being no-hit by Noah Cameron until the seventh.
The thrilling victory, the second walk-off win over the Royals in three days, comes as the Twins were reportedly beefing up their bullpen for the stretch run of the season.
On Friday morning, the Twins obtained lefthander AJ Minter from the Mets, sending infield prospects Bruin Agbayani and Billy Amick to New York.
Twins officials earlier in the week announced that they would be buyers leading up to Monday's trading deadline, one year after dumping much of their major league roster.
Minter is considered by some among the best relievers available leading up to the trading deadline.
After Cameron threw eight shutout innings in his career-long start, Royals closer Lucas Erceg retired the first two batters of the bottom of the ninth, 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.
With the AL-Central-leading White Sox staging their own dramatics in an extra-inning win over the Yankees, the Twins are three games out of first place and a game behind Cleveland for the third and final American League Wild Card spot.
The Guardians were off on Thursday and being a weekend home series against Arizona.
The White Sox travel to Tampa Bay, which has the best record in the AL.
The Twins begin a nine-game, three-city road trip on Friday at Seattle, with Zebby Matthews getting the start against the Mariners' Bryce Miller.
The first pitch for Friday's game is at 9:10 p.m. on NewsTalk 830 WCCO.
