KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Jose Berrios’ rookie season has not gone smoothly with the Minnesota Twins.
Berrios was removed after 4 2-3 innings and 77 pitches in a no-decision in the Twins’ 4-3 loss in 11 innings to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
He acknowledged he was surprised when manager Paul Molitor came out to get him with two runners on base and the Twins clinging to a 3-2 lead.
“I knew that I gave up those two runs in the fourth inning, but I felt good,” Berrios said through a translator. “I felt comfortable and I felt like I was doing a good job of getting the batters out. But, he’s the manager, so that’s his position. You have to respect that and move on.”
While Berrios led the minors with 175 strikeouts in 2015 and had struck out 46 in 48 2-3 innings in the majors this season, he failed to strikeout a batter on Tuesday.
“I don’t remember,” he said the last time he failed to log a strikeout. “Tonight I worked in the strike zone. I like strikeouts, but if I can get an out more easily I take it.”
Berrios has an 8.61 ERA in 13 starts. Molitor indicated Berrios would likely start the season finale at the Chicago White Sox, but would talk to him first on how he feels.
“I feel a hundred percent,” Berrios said. “I want to go out there and pitch. I feel like that’s what every athlete wants is to win a game. That’s what they pride themselves on. So, yeah, if that’s what they want, that’s what I’ll do.”
Bill Burns’ sacrifice fly scored Raul Mondesi in the 11th inning as the Royals staved off postseason elimination.
The defending World Series champions are five games behind Baltimore for the second AL wild card with five to play. The Orioles lost 5-1 at Toronto on Tuesday night.
Mondesi drew a walk from Tommy Milone to lead off the inning, stole second and moved to third on Jarrod Dyson’s sacrifice bunt. Whit Merrifield and Eric Hosmer were walked intentionally to load the bases before Burns hit a fly ball to center field that was deep enough to get Mondesi home.
Rookie Brooks Pounders (2-1), the eighth Royals pitcher, picked up the victory, getting the final two outs of the 11th inning.
The Twins used nine pitchers, matching a club record for an extra-inning game. Milone (3-5) was charged with the loss.
Royals starter Ian Kennedy was removed after five innings and 106 pitches. He gave up three runs on five hits, while striking out five and walking three. He yielded a solo home run to Eduardo Escobar in a 10-pitch at-bat in the fourth inning.
Juan Centeno doubled home Escobar in the second inning for the first run. Max Kepler’s two-out fifth inning single scored Brian Dozier.
The Royals bullpen shutout the Twins the final six innings with Peter Moylan getting perhaps the biggest two outs of the game. Moylan inherited runners at second and third with one out in the sixth. He struck out Bryon Buxton and retired James Beresford on a grounder.
The Royals scored two in the fourth on Hosmer run-producing single, his 101st RBI, and Merrifield came home when Kendrys Morales grounded into a double play. Jarrod Dyson’s two-out single in the fifth scored Paulo Orlando to tie the score at 3.
Pinch runner Terrance Gore stole second and third, his 11th steal in 12 attempts, in the Kansas City eighth, but Merrifield bunted into an inning ending double play.
SCHAFER BATS FIFTH
Twins LF Logan Schafer batted fifth for the first time this year and the seventh time in his career. He was 1-for-25 in his previous six starts as the No. 5 hitter. He went 1-for-4.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: RHP Dillon Gee has a blood clot in his lung and shoulder and won’t pitch again this year. Gee had shortness of breath after pitching 2 2-3 innings in relief Sunday at Detroit and was taken to the hospital when the blood clots were detected. He also had surgery in July 2012 while with the Mets for a blood clot in his shoulder.
Twins: 1B Joe Mauer, who is hitless in his past 15 at-bats, is still bothered by a sore quadriceps and didn’t play Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Twins: RHP Ervin Santana is 5-9 with a 4.65 ERA in 20 career starts against the Royals. This is his fifth start this season against the Royals.
Royals: LHP Jason Vargas will make his third start after rehabbing from 2015 reconstructive elbow surgery
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