Behind Great Taj Bradley Start, Twins Avoid a Sweep in Kansas City

Six games into the 2026 season, the Twins are 2-0 in Taj Bradley's starts and 0-4 when anyone else takes the mound.

Behind a great six-inning outing from Bradley and three home runs in the ninth inning, the Twins snapped a three-game losing streak and avoided a sweep in Kansas City with a 5-1 win over the Royals on Thursday afternoon. They went 2-4 on their season-opening road trip and will now look to stack some wins as they come home for seven games, starting with Friday afternoon's home opener at Target Field.

Bradley pitched quite well for a second straight outing to open his season. In his debut outing last weekend in Baltimore, he struck out nine batters but also walked three and labored with his pitch count, going only 4.1 innings. This time, he had fewer strikeouts but was more efficient, completing six scoreless innings on exactly 100 pitches. He allowed five hits and one walk, striking out three.

Seven innings into Thursday's game, the Twins led 1-0, with their only run coming on a Royals throwing error that saved Kody Clemens from an embarrassing mistake in the second inning. They added an insurance run in the top of the eighth, which proved important when Kansas City scratched across a run in the bottom half.

In the ninth, a Minnesota offense that has been quiet this season struck for three home runs off of Royals reliever Steven Cruz. Matt Wallner and Clemens hit opposite-field blasts, and Bell went back-to-back with Clemens by crushing a hanging slider out to right field. That created a nice cushion for Justin Topa to come in and finish off the win.

Three home runs in the ninth inning to pad the lead for the Twins! pic.twitter.com/ABTo0MtRzP
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 2, 2026

Bradley was perfect through his first two innings, then avoided some trouble in the third by striking out Bobby Witt Jr. looking on a fastball measured at 100.0 miles per hour. That broke Bradley's own record, set five days earlier, for the fastest pitch by a Twins starting pitcher in the pitch-tracking era. Bradley then loaded the bases in the fourth and escaped again with a strikeout of Lane Thomas.

Taj Bradley 💯⛽️ pic.twitter.com/LbzGlZniuV
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 2, 2026

Derek Shelton showed some trust in Bradley by sending him back out for the sixth inning after 90 pitches, and it paid off with a ten-pitch final frame from the Twins' starter.

Clemens had an rollercoaster afternoon at the ballpark. In the top of the second, he singled off Royals starter Cole Ragans and advanced to second when Victor Caratini was thrown out by a mile trying — for some odd reason — to go to third base. Clemens then appeared to forget the count and get caught stranded off of second, but Salvador Perez sailed his throw down, allowing Clemens to score the game's only run in the first seven innings.

In the fifth inning, Clemens walked and was caught stealing on an awkward face-first slide. He also missed multiple scoops at first base, as the Twins' infield defense continues to leave a lot to be desired. He did end his day nicely with a 391-foot homer in the ninth.

After the Twins managed only four hits in the first seven innings, a Royce Lewis double in the top of the eighth set up a Byron Buxton sacrifice fly that doubled the Twins' lead. The Royals got that run back in the bottom half, but a great pick from Luke Keaschall at second base and a two-out Taylor Rogers strikeout of Jac Caglianone allowed the Twins to hold onto their 2-1 lead before pulling away in the ninth.

Bailey Ober starts against Joe Boyle and the Tampa Bay Rays in Friday's home opener in Minneapolis. Both the Twins and Rays come into this weekend's series at 2-4.