In the opening day matchup between the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals, Twins ace Pablo Lopez faced some early anxiety but ultimately settled in to deliver a strong performance. On the third pitch of his afternoon, Lopez allowed a home run to Maikel Garcia. Ryan Lefebvre and Rex Hudler had the call on Bally Sports Kansas City:
Lopez went on to hold the Royals to just three more hits over seven innings, without issuing a walk. The Twins secured a 4-1 victory, with Royce Lewis contributing a home run and Carlos Correa driving in two runs with three hits.
On the Royals side, pitcher Cole Ragans set a franchise record for opening day with nine strikeouts in six innings, but also allowed two runs on five hits and three walks. The Royals’ manager Matt Quatraro, beginning his second year with the team:
The game featured a ceremonial first pitch thrown by Chiefs coach Andy Reid to Hall of Famer George Brett, adding to the festive atmosphere of the opening day.
Unfortunately, the Twins suffered an injury blow during the game as Royce Lewis exited with a right quad injury, prompting further evaluation. Max Kepler also fouled a pitch off his knee but underwent X-rays that came back clean.
Both teams made roster moves ahead of the game, with several players being placed on the injured list due to various injuries.
Looking ahead, the Twins will send Joe Ryan to the mound to face the Royals’ Seth Lugo in the next game of the series on Saturday, following a day off on Friday.
Other MLB scores from Thursday, March 28, 2024:
Baltimore 11, L.A. Angels 3
San Diego 6, San Francisco 4
Toronto 8, Tampa Bay 2
N.Y. Yankees 5, Houston 4
Pittsburgh 6, Miami 5
Detroit 1, Chicago (AL) 0
Cincinnati 8, Washington 2
L.A. Dodgers 8, St. Louis 2
Texas 4, Chicago (NL) 3
Cleveland 8, Oakland 0
Arizona 16, Colorado 1
Boston 6, Seattle 4
Atlanta at Philadelphia – PP (Rain)
Milwaukee at N.Y. Mets – PP (Rain)
