Cole Ragans dominates the Twins as the KC Royals build on their recent momentum

The Kansas City Royals entered their game on Tuesday night coming off back-to-back wins, in search of extending their first winning streak of the season. And extend they did.

It was a mix of skill and luck, but the Royals were able to do just enough to squeak out a win against their division rivals in the Minnesota Twins.

They accomplished this in a variety of ways, as nearly everyone played a role in some manner in order to get this one over the finish line.

Cole Ragans dominates the Minnesota Twins

After an abnormally rough Opening Day start against the Cleveland Guardians, where the traditionally scintillating southpaw surrendered three earned runs on five hits and two walks while only striking out three, the last two starts have been more representative of the All-Star-caliber arm we've become accustomed to seeing when he takes the mound.

He reached double-digit strikeouts in his second start of the season in Milwaukee, sitting down 10 Brewers. However, he still showed some vulnerability surrendering a first-inning homer to Jackson Chourio while also walking a pair across five innings of work.

But Tuesday's game was finally the start Royals fans have been waiting for from Ragans, as he struck out 11 on just four hits and no walks across six innings of work. A pair of Carlos Correa doubles in the second and the sixth and a Twins rally in top of the fifth were the only real blemishes on Ragans' night.

KC Royals build on their recent momentum

While it wasn't smooth sailing from the jump for the Royals in this one, they found a way to grind out a hard-fought victory overall and support a strong start from their ace, even if they couldn't give him his first win of the season.

Opposing ace Pablo López had the Royals number through the first three innings, breezing through the lineup in order and carrying a perfect game into the fourth.

That's when the Royals finally got to the Twins' ace, stringing together a series of timely at-bats to finally get on the scoreboard. It all started with one out when Bobby Witt Jr. doubled to center. Vinnie Pasquantino would then reach on a error, before Salvador Perez drove Witt in on a force out, giving the Royals a 1-0 to take into the fifth.

Ragans surrendered his lone run in the top half of the fifth off a long Harrison Bader single to left that was just out of the reach of the outstretched Mark Canha in left. All things considered though it could've been a lot worse, as an infield fly and a strikeout kept this one tied.

After Ragans left the game after the sixth inning, Ángel Zerpa held the Twins at bay in the seventh, surrendering just a lone single. John Schreiber would be tasked with the eighth inning and he managed to work out of a jam with runners on the corners, getting Correa to ground into an inning-ending double play.

After leaving the bases loaded in the sixth, Vinnie Pasquantino was finally able to get to this Twins bullpen - who were likely deployed earlier than they would've wanted after López left with a reported hamstring injury in the fifth - as he would score Witt on a groundout.

Then Schreiber would come back in to get the first two outs of the ninth before Matt Quatraro turned to Daniel Lynch IV to record the final out and pick up his first save of the campaign.

It wasn't prettiest of wins but Ragans looked like Ragans, the offense was able to do just enough and the bullpen rewarded their manager for his continued confidence in them amidst early struggles.

The Royals will look to pick up the series win and extend their winning streak to four games tomorrow night, as Seth Lugo will take the mound against Joe Ryan.