Witt's go-ahead single lifts Royals over Twins 4-2, KC opens 1 1/2-game lead for second AL wild card

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a tiebreaking single in a four-run eighth inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat Minnesota 4-2 Saturday night to open a 1 1/2-game lead over the Twins for the second AL wild card.

“That's what you dream of,” Witt said. “Those are the moments you want to be in. You've just got to control what you can control and just get a good pitch. You just have to be there in the moment.”

Held to one hit over seven innings by Bailey Ober, the Royals rallied against Jhoan Durán (6-9) and Griffin Jax, winning their third straight following a season-high, seven-game losing streak.

Kansas City (78-65) is second behind Cleveland in the AL Central and Minnesota (76-66) is third after losing four of five.

Duran, who topped 100 mph with five of 17 pitches, entered with a 2-0 lead and gave up a one-out single to Freddy Fermin, then hit Robbie Grossman with a pitch. Kyle Isbel hit an RBI single and Jax relieved, trying for a five-out save.

“The quality of at-bats against Duran was outstanding,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “We've seen these guys never give up. The pitching kept us in the game.”

Tommy Pham hit a slow four-hopper to Brooks Lee and reached on an infield hit as the shortstop barehanded the ball and bounced his throw past first. Pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who had been on second, scored on the error.

Witt, who leads the major leagues with a .336 average, looped a single into short center as Isbel scored for a 3-2 lead. MJ Melendez drove in Pham with a two-out single off Jax, who blew a save for the fifth time in 13 chances.

“When you’ve got a two-run lead in the eighth inning, you should win the game. Period," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "When you aren’t able to complete it, it’s going to frustrate everybody and it should.”

Daniel Lynch (1-0) allowed one hit in three scoreless innings.

“We're not sitting here talking about a win without what Lynch did,” Quatraro said. “Three innings — that's about as efficient as they come.”

Lynch wasn't sure how long he'd be in the game.

“They just kept saying ‘Go on back out there,’" he recalled,

Lucas Erceg pitched a perfect ninth for his 10th save, his seventh since the Royals acquired him from Oakland at the July trade deadline.

Ober did not allow a runner to reach second and retired his final 15 batters.

“He certainly dominated us,” Quatraro said. “That was a great performance by him. He mixed. He used both sides of the plate. I think we maybe squared up one or two balls in seven innings.”

Ober struck out seven and walked none.

“Bailey pitched impeccably," Baldelli said. "Once you get in the eighth and ninth and you have exceptional relievers you can bring in, that’s their job.”

José Miranda hit a two-out RBI triple in the third and scored on Matt Wallner’s double off Alec Marsh, who gave up four hits in five innings.

Royals right-hander Dan Altavilla cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Omaha.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: 1B Carlos Santana left in the bottom of the sixth inning with an unspecified illness and was replaced by Kyle Farmer.

UP NEXT

Minnesota RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (5-3, 3.95 ERA) starts Sunday against Kansas City RHP Michael Wacha (11-7, 3.50 ERA).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. throws to first for the double play hit into by Cleveland Guardians' Kyle Manzardo after forcing Will Brennan out at second during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Cleveland Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas chases down a double hit by Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. during the seventh inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. beats the tag at second by Cleveland Guardians shortstop Daniel Schneemann after hitting a double during the seventh inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. throws to first for the double play hit into by Cleveland Guardians' Will Brennan after forcing David Fry (6) out at second during the seventh inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A fly ball single falls between Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) and left fielder MJ Melendez (1) during the seventh inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals' Tommy Pham, left, is doused by Bobby Witt Jr. (7) and MJ Melendez after their baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. The Royals won 4-1. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, left, tags out Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates with teammates after their baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. The Royals won 5-0. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals' Tommy Pham, center, is doused by MJ Melendez, left, and Bobby Witt Jr. after their baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. The Royals won 5-0. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a two-run single by Hunter Renfroe during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court refused Monday to revive a defamation lawsuit that former NFL quarterback Brett Favre filed against a fellow Pro Football Hall of Fame member — former tight end Shannon Sharpe.

Favre's filed the lawsuit over comments Sharpe made in 2022 on a Fox Sports show amid a developing Mississippi welfare scandal involving millions of dollars diverted to rich and powerful people.

Mississippi State Auditor Shad White said Favre improperly received $1.1 million in speaking fees to go toward a volleyball arena at The University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre had played football and where his daughter was playing volleyball. The fees were from a nonprofit organization that spent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families money with approval from the state Department of Human Services.

Sharpe said Favre was “taking from the underserved,” that he “stole money from people that really needed that money” and that someone would have to be a sorry person “to steal from the lowest of the low.”

Favre was not charged with breaking the law and had paid back $1.1 million. White said in a court filing in February that Favre still owed $729,790 because interest caused growth in the original amount he owed.

Favre sued Sharpe over his criticism on the show. A federal district judge tossed the suit, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Favre's appeal Monday.

The ruling said Sharpe’s comments were constitutionally protected opinions based on publicly known facts.

“His statements are better viewed as strongly stated opinions about the widely reported welfare scandal,” Judge Leslie Southwick wrote in Monday's opinion on behalf of a unanimous three-judge appellate panel.

Southwick said alleged inaccuracies in Sharpe's comments were corrected during the show by Sharpe's co-host, who noted that Favre was not criminally charged and had paid back the initial $1.1 million. Sharpe himself said during the program that Favre had asserted he didn't know the source of the funds, Southwick said.

“At the time Sharpe made the statements, the facts on which he was relying were publicly known, and Sharpe had a right to characterize those publicly known facts caustically and unfairly," Southwick wrote.

FILE - Shannon Sharpe attends the 28th annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street, May 13, 2024, in New York. (Photo by CJ Rivera/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre speaks with reporters prior to his induction to the Mississippi Hall of Fame in Jackson, Miss., Aug. 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)