The slugger continued his impressive rookie season with his biggest homer of the year, a go-ahead pinch-hit blast in the 12th inning to lift the Twins to a much-needed 3-2 win over the Royals in the rubber game on Wednesday night. It helped Minnesota move to 1 1/2 games back of the Rangers for the second American League Wild Card spot.
It was Sano's first at-bat since Monday, as he was held out of the starting lineup on Tuesday and Wednesday to give him a mental and physical break. He had struck out in 11 of his previous 12 at-bats, and he has been nursing a strained right hamstring.