How the Royals flipped Saturday’s game vs. the Twins into a crucial comeback victory

There was a quiet murmur across Kauffman Stadium on Saturday night.

The Kansas City Royals couldn’t buy a hit against Minnesota Twins starter Bailey Ober. Nothing seemed to work as Ober worked a near-flawless seven innings.

Then, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli turned to his bullpen. Ober was taken out of the game in the eighth inning, and a sigh of relief was shared by more than 30,000 fans in attendance.

And a sleeping giant began to stir.

In the eighth inning, the Royals scored four runs to earn a 4-2 win over the Twins. It was their third consecutive win after a seven-game losing streak.

Royals catcher Freddy Fermin began the frame with a one-out single. Then, designated hitter Robbie Grossman got aboard after being hit by a pitch.

This set the stage for Royals outfielder Kyle Isbel. He ripped an RBI single that brought Fermin in to score. The Royals added three more singles to take a late lead — from Tommy Pham, Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez.

The runs were charged to Twins reliever Jhoan Duran, who was hit hard in one-third of an inning.

KC improved to 78-65 and now holds a 1 1/2-game lead over the Twins in the American League Wild Card race. The Twins would’ve jumped the Royals in the standings had Saturday’s game gone the other way.

Missed previous Royals coverage

Game 1: Cole Ragans eclipses 200 strikeouts as Royals shutout Twins

Pham-tastic: Why Royals outfielder Tommy Pham could spark postseason push

Here are more notables from Saturday’s game:

Alec Marsh tosses five quality innings

Marsh gave the Royals a chance on Saturday night. He allowed two runs and struck out five batters, despite the lack of run support.

The Twins made things difficult early. Marsh navigated a leadoff single to second baseman Edouard Julien in the first inning. He stranded two runners to escape without a run scoring.

Marsh cruised through the second inning but ran into trouble thereafter. In the third, the Twins scored both runs with three extra-base hits. Julien hit a one-out double and later scored on teammate Jose Miranda’s RBI triple.

Twins outfielder Matt Wallner followed with an RBI double of his own.

Royals limited early against Bailey Ober

The Royals caught Ober on the wrong night.

Ober, who faced the Royals twice this season, didn’t look like the same pitcher that allowed 14 earned runs in those outings. Instead, he was aggressive from the first pitch.

Ober limited the Royals to one hit in seven innings. He recorded seven strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter in his outing. The Royals didn’t have many answers for his five-pitch arsenal that included a fastball, changeup and slider.

KC managed just two baserunners against Ober. Team captain Salvador Perez got aboard after getting hit by a pitch. Grossman led off the third inning with a single to right.

Neither runner would score. The Royals searched for answers until momentum shifted against the Twins bullpen.

What’s next on the KC Royals’ schedule:

The Royals conclude their three-game series against the Twins on Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

Royals right-hander Michael Wacha will draw the home start. He is 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 26 starts this season. Wacha has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 17 of his last 18 starts and limited opponents to a .228 batting average during that span.

The Twins will start right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson. He allowed two earned runs in a May 28 win against the Royals.