Four relievers followed Daniel Lynch, each delivering a shutout frame, and the Kansas City Royals held on for a 2-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on a dreary night at Kauffman Stadium that saw fewer than 9,000 fans walk through the gates.

Lynch (1-1) bounced back from a dismal season debut against St. Louis, when he served up three homers, to win a pitchers’ duel against Chris Paddack (0-2) and the equally stout Minnesota bullpen.

Lynch never allowed a runner to reach third, getting plenty of help along the way from one of two big league defenses — the Padres have the other — that has yet to commit an error this season. Collin Snider, Jake Brentz and Josh Staumont got the lead to Scott Barlow, who worked around a single in the ninth for his first save of the season.

The Royals scored in the first inning when Bobby Witt Jr. grounded into a double play and Whit Merrifield scampered home from third, but nobody else crossed the plate until Kansas City strung together three singles in the fifth.

The last of them, a bunt by Adalberto Mondesi, got through the right side of a drawn-in infield to bring in a run.

UP NEXT

Twins RHP Joe Ryan (1-0, 2.70 ERA) tries to build on a dynamic debut against Boston, when he allowed one run on five hits over six innings, when he takes the mound for the series finale Thursday. Royals RHP Zack Greinke (0-0, 2.45) tries again for his first win since returning to the club that drafted him two decades ago.

Pregame begins at 12:30, with game time at 1:10 this afternoon. You can hear the broadcast from the Royals’ Radio Network on KMMO AM 1300.