MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Salvador Perez and the Kansas City Royals have been off to a slow start in defense of their World Series championship.

Now that Perez has found his swing, the Royals appear primed to go on a run.

Perez had a career-high five hits, including a double, a triple and an RBI, to lead the Royals to a 10-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.

“I think everyone is trying to do the best they can do. It’s a long season,” said Perez, who has hit safely in nine straight games. “Sometimes it will be tough and sometimes it’s a night like tonight.”

Paulo Orlando added three hits and two RBI in the rain-delayed game for the Royals, who put All-Star outfielder Alex Gordon on the disabled list on Monday with a fractured right wrist.

Ricky Nolasco (1-3) gave up six runs on eight hits and struck out three in 2 2/3 innings for the Twins (11-33), who have the worst record in the majors.

“I put the team in a big hole early and that’s never good, especially with the situation we’re in right now,” Nolasco said.

Peter Moylan (1-0) picked up the win in relief of Ian Kennedy, whose outing was cut short thanks to the 41-minute rain delay in the third inning.

The Royals pounded out 17 hits and Omar Infante drove in three runs. Perez was the first Royal with five hits in a game since Billy Butler in 2013.

“We needed that,” manager Ned Yost said. “Especially with this rain delay.”

Joe Mauer had three hits, including a solo home run in the first inning for the Twins.

Manager Paul Molitor gave slumping veteran Brian Dozier the night off, the latest in a series of moves aimed at igniting the Twins’ stagnant offense. They put two on the board in the first inning, but Nolasco gave it right back.

The Royals tied the game in the second and put four on the board in the third, with a two-run single from Jarrod Dyson putting them up 6-2.

Nolasco failed to pitch three full innings for the fourth time in his 44 starts for the Twins.

KENNEDY’S START

Kennedy gave up two runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings. He did come out to pitch again after the delay, which Yost knew was potentially tricky. Had the delay been any longer, the Royals would have gone straight to their bullpen after resuming play.

“Went back out there, I felt good, then we had another long inning and I was like, `Hey, if this inning goes any longer you’re going to have to warm someone else up,” Kennedy said.

FAST MOVERS

The rain started pouring down on Target Field — and at the Beyonce concert at TCF Bank Stadium a few miles away — at 8:20 p.m., sending fans scurrying for shelter and prompting the umpires to call the players off the field.

The Twins grounds crew sprang into action, unrolling the massive tarp over the infield in moments. The time on the clock when it was fully in place: 8:21.

CAIN’S TOUGHNESS

Lorenzo Cain had two hits and stayed in the game after fouling a pitch off of his left kneecap in the fourth inning. He was hobbling in the field and on the bases, but hung in there on a day when the Royals were banged up.

“He wanted no part of coming out of that game,” Yost said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Gordon has a non-displaced fracture of the scaphoid bone in his right wrist and will not require surgery, manager Ned Yost said. He is expected to miss the next three to four weeks. … 3B Mike Moustakas was held out with a bruised knee and is listed day to day.

Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson threw 56 pitches in his rehab start for Class A Fort Myers on Sunday and will throw another 80 on Friday.

UP NEXT

RHP Ervin Santana (1-2, 3.13) takes the mound for the Twins against RHP Edinson Volquez (4-4, 3.79) for the Royals. Santana is coming off of his best outing of the season, going eight innings against the Blue Jays. Volquez has given up four runs in three of his last five starts for a 6.00 ERA.

— Associated Press —

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — When Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas collided while chasing a foul ball on Sunday, the Kansas City Royals gasped at the prospects of losing two All-Stars on one play.

A day later, the news could have been much worse.

Gordon was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday with a fractured right wrist, but he will not need surgery. Moustakas was held out of the series opener in Minnesota — he is considered day-to-day with a bruised knee.

The break in the scaphoid in Gordon’s wrist was non-displaced. He is expected to miss three to four weeks.

“That hurts,” manager Ned Yost said. “But we feel like we have enough to cover that.”

The All-Stars were injured in a loss to the White Sox in Chicago on Sunday when they slammed into each other while chasing after a fly ball in foul territory.

The Royals recalled infielder Cheslor Cuthbert to take Gordon’s place on the roster.

Gordon has struggled this season, hitting just .211 with four home runs and 10 RBIs for the defending champions, who started the day in third place in the AL Central.

Jarrod Dyson started in Gordon’s place in left field on Monday against the Twins, and Yost also can use Whit Merrifield there as well.

Merrifield was in the lineup at third base for Moustakas on Monday night.

Moustakas went out and tested the knee in pregame warmups but felt some discomfort and was held out.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — The White Sox didn’t completely break out of their offensive funk. But they scored just enough runs to win for the third time in 11 games.

Todd Frazier tied for the AL lead with his 13th home run, Melky Cabrera drove in two runs and the Chicago beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Sunday to avoid what would have been its first losing sweep this season.

“Hopefully, we can keep tacking on some more runs, because we still left a couple out there today that we could have easily gotten,” Frazier said. “We’re still focused and determined to get those in.”

Carlos Rodon (2-4) allowed two runs and pitched into the seventh inning for his first victory since April 13.

“We didn’t want to get swept during that series,” Rodon said. “I came out and pitched the best I could and gave the team a chance to win. We did that today. All around good baseball.”

David Robertson overcame dizziness to get three outs for his 11th save in 13 chances for the AL Central leaders.

Lorenzo Cain and Paulo Orlando had two hits apiece for the World Series champions, who had won six of their previous eight.

Yordano Ventura (4-3) gave up three runs and six hits in six innings for the Royals, who were trying for their first road series sweep. He is 3-0 in four home starts but 1/3 in five road games.

Rodon allowed eight hits and struck out four in his first time facing Kansas City.

“His confidence grows as he goes along, of just who he is and where he belongs and how he’s doing,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.

Kansas City had four singles — including Orlando’s two-out RBI hit — to take the lead in the second. Orlando drove in three of the Royals’ eight runs in the series. He also doubled and is hitting .364 (20 for 55) in his career against Chicago.

Frazier’s homer, which matched Baltimore’s Mark Trumbo for the AL lead, brought Chicago even in the fourth.

Cabrera put the White Sox ahead with a two-run single in the fifth on an 0-2 pitch.

“We needed to win this game,” Cabrera said.

The White Sox were 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position, dropping to 1 for 23 during the series.

“We’ve been scuffling with guys on base, especially with two outs,” Ventura said.

Omar Infante had a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

“You always want to win the series. That’s your No. 1 goal,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “You put yourself in a position to sweep them, but Rodon did a nice job of pitching today.”

A BREAK

Struggling White Sox 1B Jose Abreu had the day off. He is hitting .243 with six home runs and 39 strikeouts. Jerry Sands started at first base and DH Jimmy Rollins hit second.

“I’ve been swinging at a lot of pitches out of the zone and that’s not my approach,” Abreu said through an interpreter.

GOOD D

Both right fielders made impressive defensive plays. Orlando robbed Austin Jackson of an extra-base hit with a runner on third in the sixth by making a catch against the wall. Chicago’s Adam Eaton made a sliding catch in foul territory for the game’s first out.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: LF Alex Gordon (bruised right wrist) is day to day after he collided with 3B Mike Moustakas while they pursued a foul popup in the seventh. Both remained in the game, and Whit Merrifield pinch hit for Gordon the next inning.

White Sox: Ventura and a trainer checked on Robertson during the final batter in the ninth. Robertson said he felt dizziness but was doing fine after the game. . C Kevan Smith was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Charlotte before Sunday’s game. He was on the DL since April 26 (retroactive to April 24) with sacroiliac joint dysfunction. He has yet to play in the majors.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (4-3, 3.24 ERA) is to start Monday’s series opener against Minnesota and RHP Ricky Nolasco (1-2, 4.74).

White Sox: RHP Mat Latos (5-1, 4.00) is to start a doubleheader opener Monday against Cleveland and RHP Mike Clevinger (0-0, 6.75). RHP Erik Johnson (0-1, 7.20) is to start the second game for Chicago against RHP Cody Anderson (0-3, 7.99).

— Associated Press —