Maikel Garcia hit a two-run homer, Michael Wacha yielded a run while pitching into the sixth inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the visiting Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Friday despite star Bobby Witt Jr. exiting late due to lower back spasms.

Though the Royals have won two straight and improved to 3-4 on a nine-game homestand, Witt did not come out for the top of the seventh because of the reported back issue. The All-Star shortstop, who went 0-for-3 on Friday, but is batting .294 with 21 homers and 77 RBIs.

It’s uncertain what Witt’s status will be for the rest of the series.

Thankfully for the Royals (72-69), one game out of the final American League wild-card spot, they held on without Witt. Wacha (9-11) allowed only an RBI double to Jhonny Pereda during the fifth inning, and three other hits with two walks and striking out five over 5 2/3 innings.

Angel Zerpa, John Schreiber, Daniel Lynch IV, Taylor Clarke and Carlos Estevez (38th save) held the Twins to just one hit the rest of the way.

Back from a shoulder injury and making his first start since June 3, Minnesota’s Pablo Lopez (5-4) was strong in yielding only Garcia’s homer in the third, five other hits and only one walk on 92 pitches through six innings. He struck out four.

However, the Twins (62-79), who were swept in a four-game home series by the Chicago White Sox this week, managed just five hits, stranded eight men and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

With two outs in the third, Kansas City’s Vinnie Pasquantino singled for his second hit of the night, then Garcia smashed a Lopez pitch over the heart of the plate into the left field fan area for a 2-0 lead.

Minnesota got its only run with one out in the fifth. The eighth and ninth batters in the order, Brooks Lee and Pereda, posted back-to-back doubles to make it a 2-1 contest.

The Royals lead 6-5 in the season series vs. Minnesota, and five of the meetings have been decided by one run.

–Field Level Media