BASEBALL: Jonathan India belts slam as Royals outslug Twins

Jonathan India hit his fifth career grand slam, and Kyle Isbel also homered among his four hits, leading the host Kansas City Royals to a 13-9 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

Maikel Garcia drove in three runs as Kansas City's Nos. 6-9 hitters — India, Jac Caglianone, Isaac Collins, and Isbel — combined for 10-for-16 at the plate with eight RBIs and nine runs. The Royals’ seven-run sixth inning nearly matched their total runs from the first four games of the season.

Noah Cameron (1-0) earned the win in his season debut, allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Minnesota rallied with eight runs in the final three innings, highlighted by Josh Bell’s three-run homer in the ninth, but Lucas Erceg closed out the game for his second save.

Kansas City scored its first four runs with two outs in the second inning. Collins’ RBI double, Isbel’s and Garcia’s run-scoring singles highlighted a three-run frame, followed by India’s RBI single in the third. Garcia added a sacrifice fly in the fourth and drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth. India capped the seven-run sixth with his 3-1 grand slam off Zak Kent for his first homer of the season.

Minnesota’s Luke Keaschall hit a two-run double in the seventh, but Isbel answered with a leadoff homer in the bottom half.

Earlier, Caglianone doubled off Joe Ryan (0-1) in the second and later scored on Collins’ double. Isbel followed with an RBI single and scored on Garcia’s single to give Kansas City a 3-0 lead. Vinnie Pasquantino doubled to lead off the third and later scored after India was credited with an RBI single on a misplayed ball by Royce Lewis. Garcia’s sacrifice fly in the fourth and Brooks Lee’s RBI single in the fifth extended the lead.

Ryan allowed five runs on nine hits in four innings, dropping to 8-2 in 12 career appearances against the Royals.

Kansas City collected 15 hits in the game and extended its winning streak to three games.

—Field Level Media/Reuters