Danny Duffy made his first major league start since Tommy John surgery, laboring through 3.2 innings while throwing 97 pitches, but he and the Royals bullpen combined for 16 strikeouts in a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.
“I’m not satisfied with this at all. It wasn’t where I wanted to be today,” Duffy said, “but we gutted it out, we got the win and the bullpen was amazing.”
Despite the short outing, Duffy at times looked good. He struck out seven with a fastball that reached 97 mph, and had a good changeup, but he struggled with command at times.
Louis Coleman picked up the win and three other relievers covered the next 4.1 innings. Greg Holland worked around a single by pinch-hitter Joe Mauer in the ninth to wrap up his 30th save.
Alex Gordon homered off Samuel Deduno to tie the game and Alcides Escobar hit a go-ahead single later in the fourth, Lorenzo Cain hit an RBI single in the fifth, and Gordon drove in another run in the seventh with the 200th double of his career.