Nelson Cruz hit his 400th career home run, Miguel Sanó connected twice and the Minnesota Twins powered past the Kansas City Royals 12-8 Sunday.
Minnesota piled up six runs in the first inning and rolled from there after starting the day with a four-game lead over Cleveland for first place in the AL Central.
Cruz became the 57th player with 400 homers. His fourth-inning solo shot was also his 40th homer of the season.
Minnesota Twins' Nelson Cruz points toward fans after crossing home plate on his 400th career home run in the first inning of a baseball gameagainst the Kansas City Royals, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019 in Minneapolis. (AP PhotoStacy Bengs)
Kansas City joined Baltimore, Detroit and Miami with 100 losses, only the second time in major league history there have been four 100-loss teams in one season. In 2002, Detroit, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay each lost 106 and Kansas City was defeated for the 100th time on the season's final day.
Sanó homered in the first and third innings. Sanó hit a three-run drive during the big first inning against starter Jorge López, who lasted just 2 1/3 innings
Minnesota's Martin Perez had his shortest start of the year. The lefty allowed five runs and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings. Zack Littell (6-0) earned the win.
Minnesota Twins' Nelson Cruz, right, high-fives third base coach Tony Diaz, left, after hitting his 400th career home run in the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP PhotoStacy Bengs)
Kansas City left fielder Whit Merrifield became the eighth Royal to reach 200 hits in a season.
TWINS ATTENDANCE UP IN 2019
An announced crowd of 31,628 fans attended Minnesota's final regular season home game. That brings the Twins' total attendance to 2,294,152 for the season, their highest total since 2013.
Kansas City Royals pitcher Jorge Lopez throws against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP PhotoStacy Bengs)
That's up 334,955 from last year, when Minnesota had a total attendance of 1,959,197.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals: SS Adalberto Mondesi exited in the first inning with a left shoulder injury. Mondesi injured the shoulder while diving to make a play on a ground ball by Cruz. ... C Nick Dini left Sunday's game in the sixth inning with a right shoulder contusion.
Minnesota Twins pitcher Martin Perez throws against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP PhotoStacy Bengs)
Twins: C Mitch Garver was removed as a precaution from Sunday's game with right hip tightness. He'e considered day-to-day. ... RF Max Kepler (shoulder) will ramp up hitting activities in the coming days to prepare him to return to the lineup, including hitting off a high-velocity machine early in the week. ... INF Ehire Adrianza (oblique) went through an infield workout, and manager Rocco Baldelli said Adrianza "came out great" from it. However, Baldelli wasn't sure if Adrianza would return before the end of the regular season.
UP NEXT
Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (6-6, 4.30 ERA) starts the first game of Kansas City's series with the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. Duffy threw seven scoreless innings his last time out in a no-decision against Oakland.
Twins: RHP Jake Odorizzi (114-7, 3.59 ERA) opens Minnesota's series Tuesday at Detroit in search of his first win in the month of September.
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