MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sonny Gray cruised before leaving in the seventh inning because of right pectoral soreness, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 Sunday behind Gio Urshela’s three-run homer.
Gray (3-1) allowed two hits and retired 14 in a row before Andrew Benintendi’s single leading off the seventh.
With a 3-1 count on Bobby Witt Jr. and Kansas City asking for a video review to try to get a hit batter call, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and athletic trainer came to the mound as Gray appeared to be trying to stretch a muscle near hi pitching shoulder.
Gray was replaced by Griffin Jax, who struck out Witt and allowed MJ Melendez’s RBI double.
Gray didn’t walk a batter and struck out four as his ERA droped to 2.41 in his first season in Minnesota. He allowed five runs in five May starts covering 27 1/3 innings after recovering from a hamstring strain during his second start.
Nick Gordon and Trevor Larnach hit the Twins’ first consecutive solo homers of the season in the fourth as Minnesota gained a four-game split.
Zack Greinke (0-4) gave up five runs, six hits and two walks in four innings. He has a 5.05 ERA and has allowed at least five earned runs in three of his last four starts after not giving up more than three in any of his first six.
Greinke stranded two runners after two walks in the first inning. Byron Buxton and Luis Arraez singled ahead of Urshela’s fourth homer of the year in the third.
Gordon’s first homer of the season started the fourth and Larnach followed with his third.
RHP Jonathan Heasley (0-2, 4.73 ERA) will start for Kansas City in the opener at Cleveland on Monday. Heasley has allowed three runs in five innings in each of his last two starts. The Guardians counter with RHP Zach Plesac (1-4, 5.40).
