BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (Interstat) — The Kansas City Royals scored two runs in the ninth inning to break a 6-6 tie and beat the Minnesota Twins 8-6 on Thursday at Target Field.

Kansas City jumped ahead early on a sacrifice fly in the first and added a run in the second. Michael Massey’s solo homer in the fourth made it 3-1. The Royals broke open the game with three runs in the sixth, capitalizing on Carter Jensen’s two-run double and a throwing error. They added two more in the ninth on Josh Rojas’ two-run single.

Minnesota answered each early Kansas City tally. Byron Buxton homered in the first, Victor Caratini doubled in the second, and Kody Clemens hit solo shots in the third and fifth. Ryan Kreidler’s triple in the fourth and Caratini’s homer in the sixth tied the game at 6-6.

Matt Strahm pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn the win, moving to 2-1. Alex Lange worked a perfect ninth for his second save. Taylor Rogers took the loss, falling to 1-3.

Kansas City outhit Minnesota 12-9. Clemens and Caratini each homered and drove in two. Attendance was 17,802, with a game time of 3 hours, 3 minutes.