Escobar goes big with first Major League blast

KANSAS CITY -- Eduardo Escobar is listed at 5-foot-10 and 173 pounds. But despite that diminutive stature, the Twins' infielder showed on Tuesday that he can hit the ball a long way when he gets a fastball in a spot that he anticipates.

Escobar's first Major League home run came off Royals right-hander Jeremy Guthrie in the fifth inning and was measured at 397 feet. The Twins were able to retrieve the ball and present it to Escobar.

"I knew I put a good swing on it, but I never thought it would go that far," Escobar said through translator Wilkin Ramirez. "It was a 3-2 count and I was looking fastball away."

Escobar could only wish that his first homer had come on a night when Minnesota won. The Royals put a damper on Escobar's milestone homer by emerging with a 7-4 victory.

"I feel good about it, but I wanted a 'W,'" Escobar said. "Then I could have enjoyed it better."