Something weird is going on with the Minnesota Twins this week.

Tuesday afternoon, they put together not one, but two two-out rallies in which they hit singles and ran around the bases. They torched old rival Zack “Zach” Greinke. They struck out sparingly. Donovan Solano had three hits and a homer. Byron Buxton had three hits and a homer.

But what really made me check my pulse was this: Max Kepler not only had two RBI hits, an RBI single in the first inning and a three-run homer in the third inning, and not only were they both with two outs… they both went to the left-field side of second base.

(/Twilight Zone theme plays)

If the theme of this season continues to be “the hitters took back control after a disastrous series in Atlanta,” Kepler’s going to be the poster boy; he’s 8-for-17 in the five games since, with two home runs.

No one, of course, should mistake beating up on the Royals for a turnaround. Kansas City is 25-61 this year, a 47-win pace; they are one of the worst teams in baseball history, disguised in this only by the presence of the active Superfund site that is the Oakland Athletics.

Beating the Royals 8-4 and 9-3 should be taken about as seriously as split-squad wins in early March.

But it’s gotta feel good if you’re Buxton or Kepler, and struggling. It has to feel good if you’re Kenta Maeda, and you allowed one earned run on three hits and a walk over seven innings.

It’s a strange sentiment to express on Independence Day, but I wish that the Royals could stay in town forever.

Down in Iowa, the St. Paul Saints’ winning streak came to an end with a thud. The Saints got only three hits, though two of them were solo homers by Gilberto Celestino and Trevor Larnach, and lost 3-2 to the Iowa Cubs.

The other hit came from former top prospect Austin Martin, playing his second Triple-A game of the year (and getting his first hit). His progress will be something to track over the coming weeks, too.

Matt Wallner was 0-for-4 and struck out three times. Given how the Twins have treated him this year, this probably means they’ll outright him to the Korean League or something.

TONIGHT’S SLATE

TWINS vs Kansas City, 6:40pm
LYNX vs Indiana, 7pm

SAINTS at Iowa, 6:38pm

ON DECK

LOONS vs Austin, Saturday

AURORA vs Chicago City (at Flint, MI), Thursday
CROWS at Thunder Bay, Friday
DOUBLOONS vs Real Monarchs, Sunday