The Kansas City Royals are hoping to make another push for a playoff spot, and their latest successful series at Target Field is definitely going to help.

Bruce Chen bounced back with a solid start and the Royals earned their fifth consecutive win with a 3-1 victory over Minnesota, sending the slumping Twins to their fifth straight loss.

”This was a nice series for us,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. ”We did everything really well, we pitched well, swung the bats well, played solid defense.”

The Royals outscored Minnesota 17-3 in the three-game set to finish the season series with a 15-4 record against their AL Central rival. Kansas City has won seven straight at Target Field.

”They’ve probably had our number in the past, so it’s tough to say anything bad about them,” said second baseman Chris Getz, who had one of Kansas City’s three RBI singles.

Coupled with Oakland’s 7-6 loss in Detroit, the Royals are six games back of the A’s for the AL’s second wild-card slot.

”I couldn’t even tell you who’s ahead of us,” Yost said. ”My focus is if we win everything else takes care of itself.”

Getting Chen back on track certainly helps.

Chen (6-2), who is good at deception and changing speeds, gave up one run and five hits in 5 2-3 innings. In his past two starts, he allowed 13 runs in nine innings. Before those two, he had allowed just three earned runs in 38 2-3 innings over six starts.

”I went back and tried to be more aggressive,” Chen said. ”I wanted to make sure I pound the strike zone.”

Kelvin Herrera and Will Smith combined for 2 1-3 innings of scoreless relief. Greg Holland pitched a scoreless ninth for his 36th save in 38 chances.

”It was a total team effort,” Chen said. ”We won collectively.”

The Twins hit just 15 for 91 (.165) in the series. Brian Dozier homered for Minnesota, which has totaled just six runs during its skid.

Minnesota is one game ahead of last-place Chicago in the division.

”It’s a tough time of the year,” said bench coach Terry Steinbach, who filled in when manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected in the second inning. ”They don’t call it the ‘Dog Days of August’ for nothing, and whether you’re in first place or last place or somewhere in the middle, as players and as organizations and teams you’ve got to figure out a way to get through this stuff.”

Justin Maxwell was hit by a pitch – the ninth batter plunked this season by Twins starter Samuel Deduno – and both benches were warned by plate umpire Alan Porter. Gardenhire came out to protest and was tossed for the fourth time this year.

Maxwell was hit by a pitch in Wednesday night. Salvador Perez homered twice in that game for the Royals and had a fastball come in high and tight.

”I don’t think they were trying to hit me on purpose,” Maxwell said. ”I’m just glad it helped lead to a big inning.”

Getz, Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon singled home runs in the second.

Deduno (8-8) allowed three runs in three innings before leaving because of soreness in his right shoulder. An MRI is scheduled for Friday.

He said he felt a little pain when trying to throw his fastball hard.

”I wanted to be aggressive. That’s when I felt it,” he said. ”I wanted to keep pitching, but they told me they want to see what’s wrong with my shoulder.”

Deduno had been bothered by biceps tendinitis in his throwing arm earlier this month but told the team he was feeling fine.

Dozier homered in the sixth to make it 3-1. His 14th homer tied him with Tim Teufel (1984) for most homers in a season by a Minnesota second baseman.

Already playing short-handed because outfielder Oswaldo Arcia was unavailable with a sore wrist, Minnesota lost right fielder Wilkin Ramirez in the fifth inning after he fouled a ball off his left shin. He was scheduled for an MRI later Thursday.

— Associated Press —

Salvador Perez homered twice, got four hits and sent a message to Minnesota pitcher Andrew Albers after a high-and-inside fastball, leading the Kansas City Royals over the Twins 8-1 Wednesday night.

Danny Duffy (2-0) pitched 6 2-3 shutout innings hours after being promoted from Triple-A. Minnesota lost its fourth in a row.

Perez hit a two-run homer in the fourth, a 415-foot drive into the upper deck in left field off Albers (2-2) that made it 3-0.

When Perez came up again in the sixth, Albers threw an up-and-in pitch that sent Perez tumbling to the ground.

The 23-year-old catcher, who missed a week with a concussion earlier this month, took his helmet off and pointed at his side, apparently telling Albers to aim lower if he’s going to throw inside. Albers held both of his arms out and had a few words of his own for Perez.

Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt warned both benches. Perez then struck back by lining a single that whizzed over Albers’ head.

Perez hit another two-run homer in the eighth, connecting off reliever Casey Fien in the eighth.

Perez had his first career multihomer game. In 15 games against the Twins this season, Perez is hitting .410 with four doubles, three homers and nine RBIs.

Duffy was called up from the minors and replaced the struggling Wade Davis in the rotation. Duffy allowed five hits and struck out seven in his third start with the Royals since having elbow surgery last June.

Duffy has shuffled among Kansas City, Triple-A Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas as he comes back from surgery.

In three August starts with the Royals, Duffy has a 1.10 ERA and has struck out 17. The tall and thin lefty hasn’t given up a run in his last 12 2-3 innings.

The Twins struck out 10 times and set the club record for strikeouts in a season with 31 games to go. Minnesota batters have fanned 1,127 times, breaking the previous mark of 1,121 set in 1997.

Chris Colabello whiffed on a changeup from Duffy in the fifth inning to set the record.

Justin Morneau hit his 16th home run in the ninth to prevent the Twins from being shut out.

Alex Gordon hit a solo homer as the Royals beat Minnesota for the eighth time in their last nine games.

— Associated Press —

James Shields was sharp for 7 1-3 innings, Alex Gordon had three RBIs, and the Kansas City Royals scored five runs in the eighth inning to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-1 on Tuesday.

Shields – the key part in the deal that sent top prospect Wil Myers to Tampa Bay in the offseason – struck out seven and notched his American-League best 22nd quality start.

Shields (9-8) only allowed one hit through seven innings before running into trouble and leaving in the eighth inning.

Kevin Correia struck out a season-high seven over seven shutout innings, but ended up with a no-decision. Brian Dozier had the Twins’ RBI.

The first seven Royals hitters reached base in a five-run eighth that broke open a scoreless game and handed reliever Jared Burton (2-8) his third loss to Kansas City this season.

The first two runs scored on a bloop single from Chris Getz and a Jarrod Dyson suicide squeeze.

Gordon followed with a bases-clearing double down the right-field line that made it 5-0 and sent most of the fans at a steamy Target Field heading for the exits.

Billy Butler hit his 14th home run in the ninth.

After losing seven straight and damaging their playoff chances, the Royals have won three in a row.

While his record isn’t impressive, Shields has pitched pretty well for the Royals.

After walking Ryan Doumit in the second, Shields retired 14 of the next 15 batters and held the Twins until the offense got him some support.

Wade Davis, the other pitcher Kansas City acquired in the Myers’ deal, hasn’t been nearly as effective and was demoted to the bullpen on Tuesday.

Danny Duffy will be called up on Wednesday from Triple-A Omaha and take Davis’ slot in the rotation.

The Twins have struggled to score since All-Star Joe Mauer went on the disabled list a week ago with a concussion.

Minnesota had a chance to cut into the lead after Dozier’s double chased Shields and made it 5-1 in the eighth. But Will Smith struck out Chris Herrmann and Justin Morneau to end the threat.

The Twins struck out 11 times and were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

— Associated Press —

The Kansas City Royals announced Tuesday that they have acquired minor league pitcher Clayton Mortensen from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Quintin Berry.  In addition, the Royals also agreed to terms with first baseman Carlos Pena on a minor league contract.  Both Mortensen and Pena will be assigned to Triple-A Omaha.

Mortensen, 28, a 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher, has appeared in 24 games with Boston this season, posting a 1-2 record and a 5.34 ERA in 30.1 innings.  He’s held right-handed hitters to a .211 batting average (12-for-57).  He was optioned to Triple-A in late June and has a 3-0 record with a 2.47 ERA in 14 appearances for the Pawtucket Red Sox.  The right-handed reliever has pitched in 74 big league games in his career, going 6-11 with a 4.68 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 167.1 innings.

Pena, 35, a left-handed hitting first baseman, played in 85 games for the Houston Astros this season, before being released on July 31.  He was hitting .209 with 8 homers and 25 RBI for Houston.  The veteran first baseman has played with seven organizations in his 12-year career in which he’s hit .233 with 285 career homers and 816 RBI.  His best season came in 2007 with the Rays, when he hit .282 with 46 homers and 121 RBI in 148 games.

Berry, 28, was claimed by the Royals off waivers from Detroit in June.  He’s hit .193 with 28 stolen bases in 311 at bats in Triple-A between Omaha and Toledo.

— Royals Media Relations —

The Royals’ Jeremy Guthrie grinded through five shaky innings. Third baseman Mike Moustakas grinded through a calf strain that’s still causing him trouble.

The rest of the Kansas City offense ground up Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson.

Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer, Billy Butler also went deep and the Royals romped to an 11-1 victory over Tampa Bay on Monday in a steamy makeup of a snowed-out game from early May.

Perez finished with four RBIs, Butler drove in three runs and Moustakas also drove in a pair as the Royals won their second straight following a seven-game slide.

”We’re a good team. We’re a good-hitting ballclub,” Moustakas said. ”We knew we’d be able to get to the pitcher early and score some runs.”

Hellickson (10-8) allowed five runs in just 2 2-3 innings for Tampa Bay. It was the struggling right-hander’s shortest start since June 30, 2012, when he went the same distance in a game against Detroit before getting pelted in the leg by a line drive.

”The offense to me looks like it is back on track,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Guthrie (13-10) allowed six hits and three walks but twice delivered timely strikeouts. He fanned Kelly Johnson with two aboard to end the third inning, and then struck out David DeJesus on a called third strike to leave the bases loaded in the fourth.

Rays manager Joe Maddon argued that the call and was tossed by plate umpire Greg Gibson.

”It’s been exasperating. They beat us up. We don’t like Kansas City,” Maddon said, ”except for the food. The Plaza is nice and the barbeque, and this is one of the best ballparks in the American League, in all of baseball really, but they just beat us up.”

James Loney drove in the only run for the Rays, who no doubt rued having to make the quick trip to Kansas City in the midst of a six-game homestand. They began the day a game back of the Red Sox in the AL East and lead the American League wild-card standings.

It seemed like a season ago when the teams first tried to play. The temperature was 41 degrees with a wind chill of 21 at first pitch on May 2, and Kauffman Stadium resembled a snow globe by the fourth inning as flurries fell. The game called with the Royals leading 1-0.

It was 93 degrees at first pitch Monday, making for a 52-degree difference from the original date. Sunny skies and a slight breeze made it feel even warmer.

The biggest subplot to the game wasn’t the weather, though, but the return of Myers to Kansas City. The former minor league player of the year was the key to a seven-player trade last December that netted the Royals starting pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis.

Myers hadn’t played at the K since the All-Star Futures Game in 2012, when he went 2 for 4 and drove in the three runs. He didn’t fare nearly as well against big league pitching, either: He went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, slamming his bat down after a pop out in the fifth inning.

”The fans kinds of wore me out in right field,” he said, ”otherwise it was good.”

The Royals struck first on Butler’s RBI single in the first, but they didn’t really break through until the third inning. Three straight hits and a walk scored two runs, a sacrifice fly added another, and Justin Maxwell’s RBI single helped drive Hellickson from the game.

Hellickson fell to 0-5 in his last six starts. He’s made it through five innings once.

”It’s very frustrating when you don’t give your team a chance to win at all, 5-0 in the third,” he said. ”You don’t give them a chance to come back.”

The Royals tacked on five more runs in the sixth against the Tampa Bay bullpen, highlighted by Perez’s three-run shot. That was more than enough help for the Royals’ relief corps, which put together four shutout innings to end Guthrie’s three-game losing streak.
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”I created some problems for myself,” Guthrie said. ”The bats picked us up fortunately and we won it pretty easily, even though it was a struggle early.”