Whit Merrifield drove in two runs with a double and scored on Bobby Witt Jr.’s double, as the Kansas City Royals rallied for three runs in the eighth inning and beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 Thursday night.

Josh Staumont (2-1) worked a scoreless inning and picked up the win. Scott Barlow escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and stranded two on base in the ninth to earn his fifth save as the Royals snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Devin Smeltzer pitched seven scoreless innings for the Twins before Tyler Duffey (2-3) let the lead slip away in the eighth. Emmanuel Rivera singled with one out and moved to second on Ryan O’Hearn’s two-out, pinch-hit single. Merrifield then lined a double into the gap in right-center to tie the score at 2. After Andrew Benintendi walked, Witt doubled to left-center, scoring Merrifield with the go-ahead run.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Brad Keller (1-4, 3.20 ERA) will make the start against the Twins on Friday night. Keller has pitched seven innings in each of his last two starts, including against the Twins on Saturday.

Twins: Minnesota will counter with RHP Bailey Ober (1-1, 2.55), who came off the IL on Sunday and held the Royals to one run in five innings pitched. Ober had missed three weeks due to a right groin strain.

Pregame begins at 6:30, with game time at 7:10. You can hear the broadcast from the Royals’ Radio Network on KMMO FM 102.9.