KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cole De Vries likes to face the Kansas City Royals.
Justin Morneau drove in two runs and Minnesota rookie De Vries beat the Royals again 3-1 on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader.
De Vries (4-5) has four career victories and three of them are against the Royals.
”Oh, I can’t say that I know that,” De Vries said of being 3-0 in as many starts against the Royals. ”That makes me happy. That’s pretty good.”
So he owns them?
”I guess,” he said and laughed. ”Something is working. I feel like half of my starts have been against the Royals or the White Sox. I feel I know both those teams decently well. I feel comfortable pitching against both of them just because I’ve pitched against them so much.”
He limited the Royals to one run on seven hits, walked none and struck out three over 6 2/3 innings.
In game two of the double header, Joe Mauer’s first grand slam of the year helped the Minnesota Twins finish off a successful Saturday.
Mauer got his third career grand slam and Chris Parmelee added a three-run shot and the Twins outlasted the Kansas City Royals 8-7 to complete a sweep of a doubleheader.
Mauer’s grand slam in the second inning of the nightcap was his first since 2009. Mauer’s ninth home run came after Pedro Florimon’s double was sandwiched around walks to Drew Butera and Ben Revere.
Luke Hochevar (7-13) lasted just 1 2-3 innings, the shortest outing of his career. Hochevar faced 14 batters, 10 reached (six hits and four walks) and eight scored before he was replaced by Everett Teaford, who threw 5 1-3 scoreless innings.