Lopez loses perfect-game bid during ninth inning

MINNEAPOLIS — Rookie Jorge Lopez came within three outs of a perfect game before Max Kepler walked leading off the ninth inning and Robbie Grossman followed with a single in the Kansas City Royals’ 4-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

The right-hander, 25, was making his seventh big league start and his fifth for Kansas City since he was acquired from Milwaukee in the late-July trade that sent Mike Moustakas to the Brewers.

Lopez (2-4) retired the first 24 batters before walking Kepler on a 3-1 fastball. Grossman followed with a single to center on a 1-2 changeup.

Lopez was removed after 110 pitches, 11 more than his previous high.

Ehire Adrianza hit a sacrifice fly off Wily Peralta, who retired Joe Mauer and Jorge Polanco on flyouts for his ninth save, completing the one-hitter.

Lopez struck out four and went to five three-ball counts before the walk, including the first three batters of the game.

His perfect game bid was preserved when Jorge Polanco’s fourth-inning liner was caught by right fielder Jorge Bonifacio with a jump in front of the warning track, and when Jake Cave’s liner was snagged by left fielder Alex Gordon with a sliding grab in the fifth.

Lopez had 10 appearances for the Brewers this year, all in relief, and entered 1-3 with a 5.66 ERA for the Royals.

He was trying to become the second pitcher since at least 1900 to achieve a perfect game in his first 10 major league starts. Charles Robertson was perfect in his fourth start with the Chicago White Sox in 1922.

The Royals do not have a perfect game, and the last one in the majors was Aug. 15, 2012, when Seattle’s Felix Hernandez beat Tampa Bay, marking the 23rd perfect game in major league history.

The gap between perfect games is the longest since Catfish Hunter’s for Oakland against the Twins in 1968 and Len Barker’s for Cleveland versus Toronto in 1981.

Bret Saberhagen pitched Kansas City’s most recent no-hitter, against the Chicago White Sox in 1991.

Jim Mone The Associated Press Kansas City Royals watch as pitcher Jorge Lopez, center, leaves after he was pulled in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday in Minneapolis.