KANSAS CITY -- On a rainy Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium, runs were hard to find. So the two small-ball runs the Royals scratched in were enough to seal a 2-0 win over the Twins.

The pitching took care of the rest.

Daniel Lynch delivered five-plus scoreless innings in his second start of the season, a very different line from the six runs he allowed in his first start. The lefty provided the Twins with a heavy dose of fastballs and sliders while mixing in his changeup to keep hitters off balance.

Lynch became the first Royals starter this season to exit with a lead, and he had a fairly good idea that it would stay that way. Why? Because Kansas City's bullpen has not allowed a run since the seventh inning last Thursday against Detroit, and after Wednesday's game, that streak now stands at 17 1/3 innings.

“The best word to describe it right now is dominant,” Lynch said.

Here’s how it all played out:

Sixth inning: RHP Collin Snider

This early in the season, the Royals are still learning what they have with their new relievers, where they fit and how much they can handle. No one has shown more at this point than Snider. The rookie has yet to allow a run in 5 1/3 innings this season, all of which have come in big spots.

He came to the rescue Wednesday when Lynch allowed a leadoff single to Carlos Correa in the sixth. Snider used his signature sinker to get a double play ball, and after walking Max Kepler, went back to the sinker to get the groundout.

“I’d like to have had a little bigger lead and just let [Lynch] keep pitching, but right there, when you get to the heart of their order and you’re 10-12 pitches away from as far as we want to take you, you've got to get him some help,” manager Mike Matheny said. “But it’s a little easier to swallow when he’s watching these guys come out of the bullpen like Collin did right there.”

Seventh inning: LHP Jake Brentz

Brentz came in for the seventh inning and got left-handed hitter Trevor Larnach to fly out, then struck out Miguel Sanó on a 98 mph fastball.

Brentz threw three pitches to Ryan Jeffers: an 85.7 mph slider for a called strike, a 90.1 mph changeup for a called strike, and a 97.5 mph fastball for swinging strike three.

“It's a pretty rare mix with that kind of velocity, and those two plus pitches behind it from the left side,” Matheny said. “Puts him in pretty rare company.”

Eighth inning: RHP Josh Staumont

All Correa could do when he struck out looking to end the top of the eighth inning was lightly drop his bat and start taking off his gear, because Staumont’s 97.6 mph fastball at the top of the zone -- which Correa swung through -- followed by a hammer curveball dropping in for the strike three was purely unhittable.

“That combination, it’s gotten me here,” Staumont said. “I know I’m successful at this level doing it, so now it’s just trusting it and making sure that I’m ready to do it every single day.”

Staumont has been filthy so far this season, a positive sign after he struggled with lasting effects of Covid-19 last year that zapped his strength. Staumont feels normal again with his strength and routine, and the results are showing.

“It’s unique,” Matheny said. “His mix, with the way the ball jumps out of his hand… it’s different. When he hits on it, it’s hard to do anything with.”

Ninth inning: RHP Scott Barlow

In Tuesday’s win, Matheny went to Staumont in the ninth inning following Barlow’s scoreless eighth based on a number of factors, including matchups. That flip-flopped Wednesday because of who the Twins had due up in the ninth, making it so that Barlow would face the middle of the order.

He allowed a one-out single to Kepler, but got the game-ending double play on Gary Sánchez’s grounder to third baseman Bobby Witt Jr. to earn his first save of 2022. On Wednesday, he baffled hitters in a different way, relying mostly on breaking balls instead of fastballs, throwing just one four-seamer in 14 pitches.

“Offspeed has been feeling really good lately, so it’s something I’ve rolled with,” Barlow said. “Mixing that with the strength and weaknesses with the opponent.”

Barlow, who posted a 2.42 ERA last season, has been the epitome of reliability over the past two seasons, and he’s embraced Matheny’s strategy of throwing the highest-leverage relievers in the highest-leverage spots, even if that’s not the ninth inning.

That is what has made this bullpen so good early: no one seems worried about roles, only getting big outs.

“If you’re ready at any inning, you can pitch any inning,” Barlow said. “That’s kind of been our mindset.”