The total move told the same story ahead of time, and it turned out to be the right read — this was never going to be a track meet, and by the time the Royals plated their second run, the number had already been chased to the under.
Minnesota came into the finale losers of 4 straight, a slide that started right after taking the series opener 4-3, and Wednesday just extended it. Kansas City, on the other hand, has now won consecutive games over the Twins after dropping 4 in a row of its own — a modest 2-game heater is still a heater when you're 20 games under .500.
Kremer entered with an ugly 5.93 ERA and a brutal last outing against Detroit, and while he wasn't sharp, he kept Minnesota in it — the Twins' lone run came in the 4th. Cameron, fresh off an 8-inning, 1-hit gem the last time these two teams met, was good again, and Kansas City's bullpen made a 1-run cushion stand up after runs in the 5th and 7th.
Neither team is playing for much beyond pride and roster spots right now, but nights like this are exactly why the Royals have quietly stopped being an automatic loss for anyone left on their schedule — and why the Twins can't afford many more losses like it if they want to stay on the periphery of the Wild Card race.