Alex Gordon and Billy Butler each hit a two-run homer, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 7-6 on Friday night for their third straight win.
Mike Moustakas delivered the go-ahead single in the eighth inning and Alcides Escobar added an RBI single three batters later for Kansas City, which had lost 12 straight before beginning its winning streak.
Trevor Plouffe homered for the Twins. Alexi Casilla had two hits and two RBIs, but Minnesota again struggled with runners in scoring position and dropped below the Royals for the worst record in baseball.
Jonathan Broxton struck out Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau for his third save in four chances.
Gordon gave the Royals an early lead with a 439-foot drive off Carl Pavano in the first. Butler’s homer in the third made it 4-3 Kansas City.
In the second inning, Gordon leaped high above the left-field wall to rob Danny Valencia of a home run, snatching the ball out of the air right before it landed in a row of flowers just beyond the fence.
With the score tied at 5 and runners on first and second with nobody out in the seventh, Royals right fielder Jeff Francoeur made a diving catch on Ryan Doumit’s line drive and doubled off Mauer at first base.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire briefly argued with umpire Brian Gorman that Francoeur trapped the ball.
The play helped former Twins reliever Jose Mijares (1-1) wriggle out of a jam and get a win in his first appearance at Target Field since Minnesota let the big lefty leave as a free agent during the offseason.
Brian Duensing (0-2) allowed two runs in relief of Pavano, who gave up five runs — four earned — in 6 1/3 innings. Twins starters have just two wins and haven’t won since April 18.
Everett Teaford allowed four runs and eight hits over four innings for Kansas City. Teaford got the start in place of Danny Duffy, who was skipped because of elbow soreness.
Making his fourth career start and first this season, Teaford failed to hold leads of 2-0 and 4-3 and was removed after 75 pitches.
The Twins played without slugger Josh Willingham, who has been on paternity leave since Wednesday.
Even without Willingham, the Twins have 26 hits in their last two games.
But after Casilla made it 6-5 with an RBI groundout in the eighth, Denard Span grounded out to first and stranded Plouffe at third to end the inning.
— Associated Press —