Minnesota's Bradley Dominates Royals' Batters

Twins pitcher Taj Bradley strikes out three and holds Kansas City to five hits in six innings.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 6:56am

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A fractured, multi-angled painting depicting a baseball game in progress, with players and the field broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in a vibrant color palette.A cubist interpretation of the Twins' decisive victory over the Royals, capturing the dynamic energy and strategic complexity of the game.Kansas City Today

Taj Bradley pitched six innings of five-hit ball, helping the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Thursday. The Twins homered three times in the ninth inning to break open a close game. Minnesota's win avoided a three-game series sweep by the Royals.

Why it matters

The Twins' victory snapped a four-game losing streak to start the season, giving them a much-needed boost after a tough road trip. Bradley's strong outing also provided a lift for the Twins' pitching staff, which had struggled early on.

The details

Taj Bradley (1-0) struck out three and walked one while out-dueling Cole Ragans (0-2) of the Royals. Kody Clemens scored on an error by Royals catcher Salvador Perez in the second inning, and Byron Buxton added a sacrifice fly in the eighth before Minnesota's three-homer outburst in the ninth against reliever Steven Cruz.

  • The game was played on Thursday, April 3, 2026.
  • Bradley's win improved the Twins' record to 2-0 in his starts this season.

The players

Taj Bradley

The Minnesota Twins pitcher who threw six innings of five-hit ball to earn the win.

Cole Ragans

The Kansas City Royals pitcher who took the loss, going six innings and allowing four hits and a walk while striking out eight.

Kody Clemens

The Twins infielder who scored on an error by Royals catcher Salvador Perez and later hit a home run in the ninth inning.

Byron Buxton

The Twins outfielder who hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.

Matt Wallner

The Twins outfielder who hit a home run in the ninth inning to start Minnesota's three-homer barrage.

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What they’re saying

“First and foremost, I'm glad Carter's OK. I mean, that was kind of the initial thought when you're trying to get a hold of his parents and everything like that -- just make sure he's OK.”

— Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals first baseman

“There are some things that cannot happen, and that's one of them. So he's going to have to wear it on the chin -- same way anybody would have to. It can't happen, and hopefully it doesn't happen again.”

— Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals first baseman

What’s next

The Twins will look to build on this win as they continue their road trip, while the Royals will try to rebound from the loss.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the Twins' ability to bounce back from a tough start to the season, as well as the Royals' need to improve their consistency and avoid mistakes like the one made by rookie catcher Carter Jensen.