Royals Defeat Twins 3-1 in Home Opener

Kris Bubic's strong return to the mound leads Kansas City to victory.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 4:04am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball game, with overlapping planes of color representing the players, field, and stadium. The vibrant colors of the Royals and Twins uniforms are the focal point, capturing the energy and movement of the sport.The Royals' home opener victory showcases the team's dynamic offense and Kris Bubic's strong return to the mound.Kansas City Today

The Kansas City Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 3-1 in their home opener at Kauffman Stadium. Kris Bubic, who was shut down last season with a left rotator cuff strain, picked up the win after allowing just one run on two hits through six innings. The Royals responded to the Twins' first-inning solo homer with a two-run shot from Kyle Isbel in the bottom of the second, and added an insurance run in the seventh on a solo homer from Isaac Collins.

Why it matters

The Royals' home opener is an important early-season milestone, setting the tone for the team's performance at Kauffman Stadium. Bubic's strong return to the mound is also a positive sign for the Royals' pitching staff after his injury last season.

The details

Kris Bubic struck out four batters and allowed just one run on two hits through six innings of work. The Twins' lone run came on a solo home run from Matt Wallner in the second inning, but the Royals responded with a two-run homer from Kyle Isbel in the bottom half of the inning. Kansas City added an insurance run in the seventh on a solo shot from Isaac Collins. Daniel Lynch IV and Nick Mears followed with scoreless frames before John Schreiber closed out the game in the ninth for his first save of the season.

  • The game was played on Monday, March 31, 2026.
  • The Royals and Twins will resume their series on Wednesday, April 2, 2026.

The players

Kris Bubic

The Royals' starting pitcher, who returned to the mound after being shut down last season with a left rotator cuff strain.

Kyle Isbel

The Royals' outfielder who hit a two-run home run in the second inning to give Kansas City the lead.

Isaac Collins

The Royals' infielder who hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to provide insurance for Kansas City.

John Schreiber

The Royals' closer who pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his first save of the season.

Matt Wallner

The Twins' outfielder who hit a solo home run in the second inning to give Minnesota their only run of the game.

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What they’re saying

“It was great to be back out there and contribute to a win for the team. The guys played great defense behind me and we were able to put some runs on the board.”

— Kris Bubic, Royals Pitcher

What’s next

The Royals and Twins will resume their series on Wednesday, April 2, 2026. Noah Cameron is expected to make his season debut for the Royals in that game.

The takeaway

The Royals' home opener victory, led by Kris Bubic's strong return to the mound, provides an encouraging start to the team's season at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals' offense also showed its power with home runs from Kyle Isbel and Isaac Collins, giving the team momentum heading into the next game of the series.