Kansas City Royals finally score 1st runs of 2023 but are still searching for 1st win

The good news is the Royals scored their first runs of the season on Sunday.

The bad news is their offense is still stuck in neutral: The Royals managed just six hits in a 7-4 loss to the Twins at Kauffman Stadium.

Minnesota gave up a mere 12 hits (while stacking up 28 of its own) in the three-game series as the Twins left Kansas City with a sweep.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who had a double and walked on Sunday, has four of the Royals’ 12 hits this season.

The three hitters the Royals used at the top of their lineup Sunday have combined for just one hit this season.

There might be some light at the end of the tunnel. The Royals hit two homers in the game and scored three runs in the final three innings Sunday in front of an announced crowd of 14,589.

Starter Brad Keller allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings. He gave up five hits, walked four and struck out six. He was unhappy with himself that he didn’t make it through the fifth inning.

“I felt like I didn’t have my best command day by any means,” Keller said. “I felt like I kind of ran out of gas there in the last inning. So some pretty good breaking balls in there.

“All in all, I was really happy with both sliders and curveballs today, so just upset I went 4 2/3 today. But I’ll just try to get better next time.”

Missed previous games of the series?

Game 1: Royals fall in the 2023 opener

Game 2: Royals make wrong kind of history

Key moment

The Royals were trailing 3-1 in the seventh inning, but the Twins had runners on first and second with one out. Nick Gordon hit a ball in the hole on the left side. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. made a sensational stop and threw to second for a force-out.

Unfortunately for the Royals, Joey Gallo followed and hit a 410-foot home run to right field off Dylan Coleman that made it a five-run game.

The Royals mitigated some of the damage in their half of the frame. Third baseman Matt Duffy’s two-run shot got the Royals within three runs, at 6-3.

Player of the game

Oliveras hit the solo homer and added an RBI single that scored Michael Massey in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Highlights

The Royals scored their first run of the 2023 season Sunday as left fielder Olivares launched a laser into the left-center seats in the second inning, ending KC’s 19-inning scoreless streak.

This was a no-doubter.

In the seventh inning, Duffy clubbed a two-run homer with two outs. That scored Jackie Bradley Jr., who had drawn a two-out walk.

Both players were making their 2023 debuts.

What’s next: The Royals will welcome the Blue Jays (and former Royals infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifeld) for a four-game series that begins on Monday. The pitching matchups are: Brady Singer vs. José Berrios (Monday); Kris Bubic vs. Yusei Kikuchi (Tuesday); Zack Greinke vs. Alek Manoah (Wednesday); Jordan Lyles vs. Kevin Kausman (Thursday). Each game starts at 6:30 p.m., except Thursday’s, which begins at 1:10 p.m.