The hits flew for Royals Angel Berroa Thursday night in against Minnesota. Berroa and Emil Brown each scored early in the game with an RBI single in the second inning.
Tony Graffanino doubled the Royals score in the fourth snatching a two-run single off Twins’ starter Kyle Lohse.
Complaints of a sore neck delayed the official call for Lohse to start until right before the first pitch. Lohse battled through five innings, but gave up nine hits and four runs.
Graffanino drove in another RBI, but Berroa’s four hits, two runs scored and two RBI’s dealt the hardest blows for the Twins. Since manager Buddy Bell lowered Berroa to sixth and seventh from first and second in the batting order, the shortstop has hit in five straight games and is 11-for-18.
The Royals’ third consecutive win didn’t come unchallenged. Twins Nick Punto smacked his second home-run of the season and Joe Mauer hit three RBI’s, including a two-run double in the ninth. But Minnesota’s comeback couldn’t close the gap. The Royals staved off the Twins in an 8-5 win.
