KANSAS CITY, Mo. – There were two plays within an inning of each other on Friday, set up in almost exactly the same situations, but the different outcomes highlighted the Twins’ 5-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

After Kyle Isbel took a one-out walk in the third inning, Tommy Pham hit a fastball from Twins rookie starter Zebby Matthews to the left field wall. Isbel scored easily from first base for the game’s first run on a relay throw that was cut off at the plate.

With the Twins down by a run in the fourth inning, Kyle Farmer hit a two-out single. Austin Martin followed three pitches later with a line drive to left field, the ball bouncing close to the same part of the wall as Pham’s RBI double. Except Farmer, who ran on contact, was thrown out at the plate on a 10-foot relay throw from Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

The loss moves the Twins half a game behind the Royals in the standings, putting the Twins in the third and final wild card spot with 21 games remaining in their season.

In a crucial three-game series, featuring two nationally televised games between the division rivals, the Royals made every little play count. After Pham led off the fifth with an infield single, Witt bounced a one-hop comebacker to the mound. It would have been a double play for almost any other major leaguer, but the speedy Witt, who has yet to miss a game this season, beat the throw to first base.

Witt’s rush gave the Royals an extra out, and it led to two runs. MJ Melendez singled off Matthews with two outs, and Hunter Renfroe hit a two-strike slider over a leaping Farmer at shortstop for a two-run single.

Matthews allowed nine hits and four runs in five innings, while striking out four. The Twins have scored a total of five runs in his last four starts, giving the 24-year-old rookie a tough task in his first playoff run.

Pham’s RBI double in the third inning came one pitch after Matthews had walked Isbel, his third walk in 22 big-league innings. Michael Massey added a solo homer with two outs in the fourth inning, hitting an inside fastball. Twins catcher Christian Vázquez immediately dropped his head in frustration after Massey completed his swing.