KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Royals had a great idea on Wednesday. So the Twins copied it.
Billy Hamilton sparked Kansas City to a five-run inning to put the Royals in front at Kauffman Stadium, but Byron Buxton did the same thing four innings later. The result was a 7-6 victory for the Twins and a sweep of the two-game series.
Buxton, out of the lineup due to a bruised back he suffered the night before, was summoned as a pinch-runner after Nelson Cruz opened the ninth inning of a tie game with a walk. Two pitches later, he was standing on second base, having stolen his first base of the season and extended his consecutive-steal streak to a team-record 30.
When Eddie Rosario followed by pulling a 3-2 slider from Wily Peralta into right field, Buxton scored easily, restoring a lead the Twins had squandered earlier.
