MINNEAPOLIS -- The only time the Twins have been able to keep Edward Olivares off the bases through three games of this weekend’s four-game set was on Thursday night, when the Royals’ left fielder didn’t play.

The two games since his day off? Olivares went 5-for-7 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. All five of those hits have been for extra bases, including two doubles on Saturday afternoon in Kansas City’s 3-2 comeback win.

It was the Royals’ first road win against the Twins since May 28, 2022, snapping a nine-game losing streak at Target Field.

After Salvador Perez -- who was 5-for-7 in his career against Minnesota reliever Jorge López entering the eighth inning -- lined the game-tying RBI single into center field, Olivares led off the ninth with a walk against closer Jhoan Duran.

Olivares stole second base, narrowly beating the tag for the Royals’ fourth stolen base of the game, then he went to third on Nicky Lopez’s sacrifice bunt -- which was not an easy assignment against Duran, who throws a 102 mph fastball and a 97 mph splitter.

Olivares scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Royals closer Scott Barlow worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the ninth to notch his fourth save of the season, and Kansas City snapped a five-game losing streak against Minnesota.

“Oli, man, he is always locked in,” Nicky Lopez said. “He’s got a great swing. It’s powerful, but it’s not all or nothing, because he’s got a great approach.”

Olivares, who hit two doubles and a triple on Friday, is the sixth Royal in the last 20 years to have at least five extra-base hits in a two-game span -- joining Bobby Witt Jr. (2022), Alex Gordon (2019 and ‘11), Kendrys Morales (2015), Billy Butler (2009) and John Buck (2004).

Olivares scored the Royals’ first run in the fifth, tying the game after the Twins scored on a wild pitch from Brad Keller, who allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings with five walks and four strikeouts.

But the walk is what really stood out to Olivares. He’s been working with hitting coaches Alec Zumwalt and Keoni De Renne, zeroing in on swinging at pitches in the zone and those he knows he can hit well.

If Olivares doesn’t get those pitches, take the walk. Duran uncharacteristically struggled with command, throwing four consecutive balls to Olivares around the zone. But Olivares stayed patient.

“That was big for me to walk,” Olivares said. “In the past, I’ve swung at too many balls. It’s not good. But now, I’m focused on swinging at the pitch I can hit.”

And he sure can hit. Finally getting everyday playing time after injuries sidelined him last season, the 27-year-old has an .835 OPS in 79 at-bats (22 games). Olivares has a smooth right-handed swing that makes solid contact, and he doesn’t seem to get overwhelmed in any count or with any pitch, from velocity to hard spin.

“He has a good idea of what he’s doing, he can use the whole field,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He hits fastballs. He hits offspeed pitches. We feel really good when he’s at the plate.”

Olivares is showing that his bat and his approach can boost the Royals’ offense – something they hoped he could do when they acquired him from the Padres, along with reliever Dylan Coleman as the player to be named, in the Trevor Rosenthal trade in 2020.

“He always had the ability to command the zone,” said Twins bench coach Jayce Tingler, who was the Padres’ manager in 2020. “We’ve gotten ahead of him. We’ve thrown some good two-strike pitches. He hasn’t gone out of the zone.”

Tingler remembers coming back from the COVID-19 shutdown in ‘20 and hearing his pitchers who stayed in Arizona -- Kirby Yates, Drew Pomeranz, Garrett Richards and others -- mention facing Olivares.

“How they couldn’t get him to chase out of the zone and how he was the most competitive,” Tingler said. “He ended up making the team that year. … I’ve always liked [how] for a young kid, the way he commands the zone, he’s on pitches.

“When he’s locked in, he can hit offspeed, fastball, whatever. He’s super impressive.”

The Twins are well aware of the Royals’ young crop of hitters they’ll be facing for years to come: Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino, MJ Melendez and others.

Olivares is now on that list.

“Olivares looked as locked in as any guy they had this series,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I think he’s going to be tough as time goes on. … I think he could be a good player for them for a while.”