TORONTO — Jorge Soler and the Kansas City Royals took an early blow but kept on fighting.

Soler bounced back after losing a ball in the sun with a homer and two RBI, Brad Keller pitched five innings to win for the first time since May 22 and the Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 Sunday.

Soler reached base three times as the Royals snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the first time in six games north of the border.

“He definitely made up for it,” Keller said of Soler’s recovery after a rough start. “It’s really cool to see that.”

Soler redeemed himself further with a diving catch on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s liner in the seventh inning.

“That was a huge play,” manager Ned Yost said.

Soler apologized to Keller after his gaffe in the second, and was still thinking about it when he batted in the third.

“When I came up to bat the next time, with runners on base, I thought to myself that this was a good time to help this team win,” Soler said through a translator.

Justin Smoak homered twice for the Blue Jays, who had won 14 of their previous 17 home meetings with the Royals. It was the 10th multihomer game of Smoak’s career. The home runs were his 13th and 14th of the season.

Smoak hit a two-run homer in the second and a solo homer in the fifth but ended the game by fouling out against Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy in the ninth, stranding the tying run at second base.

Whit Merrifield reached base three times and Alex Gordon drove in a pair as Kansas City answered Toronto’s five-run second inning with a five-run third against struggling Blue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez (3-11).

“When we’ve gotten punched in the mouth we haven’t done a good job of responding,” Merrifield said. “Winning teams do that, they respond. We haven’t done that, but today we did.”

Keller (4-9) allowed six runs and eight hits in five innings to end a streak of six straight losing decisions. The right-hander has allowed six or more runs twice in his past three outings.

“It was a grind for him all day long,” Yost said. “He was never sharp, but he continued to compete his heart out. That’s exactly what I was looking for.”

Kevin McCarthy worked two hitless innings and Jake Diekman struck out a pair in a 1-2-3 eighth before Kennedy finished for his 11th save in 13 opportunities.

Royals DH Lucas Duda opened the scoring with an RBI double in the second but the Blue Jays scored five times in the bottom half. Soler lost Luke Maile’s fly ball in the sun, leading to a two-run triple, Eric Sogard hit an RBI single and Smoak followed with a two-run homer.

Handed a four-run cushion, Sanchez promptly allowed the first six batters to reach safely in the third. Humberto Arteaga and Merrifield walked, Nicky Lopez loaded the bases with a single and Gordon’s single brought home two runs. Hunter Dozier and Soler hit RBI singles and a fifth run scored when Cheslor Cuthbert grounded into a double play.

Sanchez allowed six runs and seven hits in three-plus innings to lose his 10th straight decision. It’s the longest such run by a Toronto pitcher since Ricky Romero lost 13 consecutive decisions in 2012.

Sanchez has walked 52 batters this season, tied with Cincinnati’s Luis Castillo for most in the majors.

“The free passes always find a way to come back and haunt me,” he said.

Sanchez won the AL ERA title in 2016, but has struggled with injuries and his performance since.

“The stuff is there but, in this league, if you miss some spots some guys can hurt you,” Merrifield said of Sanchez.

Soler made it 7-5 with a solo homer off Nick Kingham in the fifth, his 22nd, but Smoak replied with a leadoff blast in the bottom half.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Adalberto Mondesi (strained right groin) went 1 for 5 as the DH in a rehab game at Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Saturday night. Mondesi has been out since June 18.

DERBY BOUND

Blue Jays rookie Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is set to become the youngest participant in Home Run Derby history. Major League Baseball confirmed Sunday that Guerrero will participate. Guerrero, son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, will be 20 years, 114 days old for the derby, 116 days younger than Ken Griffey Jr. for the 1990 showcase. Bryce Harper is the only other 20-year-old to participate in the derby.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Toronto is 7-13 in one-run games. The Royals are 6-16.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Glenn Sparkman (2-3, 4.07) surrendered a season-worst three home runs in his previous start, June 25 at Cleveland and has allowed seven homers in his past four outings.

Blue Jays: LHP Clayton Richard (0-4, 6.89) has allowed at least one home run in six of his seven outings this season, including a season-worst three in his previous start, June 25 at Yankee Stadium.

— Associated Press —

TORONTO — More than halfway through the season, Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen finally went deep at home.

He couldn’t have picked a better moment.

Jansen hit a game-winning homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, Cavan Biggio launched his first career grand slam and Toronto beat the Kansas City Royals 7-5 Saturday after starter Marcus Stroman exited early with a cramp in his non-pitching shoulder.

Jansen’s fourth home run of the season was his first game-ending shot at any level.

“There’s no better feeling,” Jansen said. “That was the first time I’ve ever done that in my life. It was pretty awesome.”

Toronto won in its final at-bat for the fourth time, while the Royals lost in their opponent’s last turn for the fifth time.

Jansen’s three previous homers this season all came on the road. He connected twice against the White Sox in May and went deep at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added a solo home run for the Blue Jays, who recovered after blowing a one-run lead in the top of the ninth.

With closer Ken Giles unavailable after finishing Friday’s game, Toronto gave right-hander Daniel Hudson (5-2) his third save opportunity of the season.

Billy Hamilton led off with a single, Whit Merrifield walked and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt before Alex Gordon tied it with a sacrifice fly. The blown save was Hudson’s second.

Giles rejoined the Blue Jays on June 19 after missing 10 games because of a sore elbow. He has yet to pitch on consecutive days since his return.

Randal Grichuk drew a leadoff walk against right-hander Scott Barlow (2-3) in the bottom half. One out later, Jansen lined a two-run homer to left field, his fourth.

Stroman left two pitches into the fifth with a cramp in his left pectoral muscle, just below the shoulder.

Guerrero homered in the third and fellow rookie Biggio hit a go-ahead slam in the fifth for his sixth home run. Guerrero’s homer, his eighth, was his first since June 5, snapping an 18-game drought.

Both drives came off right-hander Homer Bailey, who was making his first career start against the Blue Jays.

A 12-year National League veteran, Bailey faced both Craig Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Sr. earlier in his career, allowing just one hit in six at-bats to the two Hall of Famers.

Stopping their sons proved more difficult.

Bailey is from La Grange, Texas, about 100 miles west of Houston. He grew up rooting for the Astros and was a big fan of the elder Biggio.

“I think he’s still the only opponent I’ve ever sent over a ball,” Bailey said about once requesting an autograph from Biggio. “It was really close to one of my best friend’s birthdays and it was his favorite player growing up.”

The younger Biggio said he didn’t ask his dad for a scouting report on Bailey.

“I think he was throwing a lot harder back then,” Cavan Biggio said. “I didn’t think it would be accurate.”

Bailey came in having won three straight starts but couldn’t extend his streak. He allowed five runs and five hits in five innings.

Stroman motioned to the dugout after missing high to Whit Merrifield in the fifth. Toronto trainer Nicky Huffman and manager Charlie Montoyo came to the mound and, following a brief discussion, Stroman walked off and went straight to the clubhouse.

“I’m not worried about it,” he said. “I’m going to be back out there. I’m a warrior, I’m a dog, always. I’ll be back out there.”

Stroman allowed three runs and four hits in four-plus innings. The right-hander was replaced by Sam Gaviglio.

Stroman is 5-9 with a 3.18 ERA in 18 starts and is expected to be traded to a contender before the July 31 deadline. He’s eligible for arbitration for the final time next year and can become a free agent following the 2020 season.

Toronto’s Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had his second straight multihomer game in Friday’s 6-2 win but was unable to prolong his power surge another day. Gurriel went 1 for 3 with a single and a walk.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: 2B Devon Travis (left knee surgery) has resumed light baseball activity. … RHP Clay Buchholz (right elbow) has been throwing at 90 feet and will progress to long toss. … OF Dalton Pompey (concussion) could begin a minor league rehab assignment next week.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

The Blue Jays won for the first time in eight games with the roof open at Rogers Centre.

TURNING IT AROUND

Jansen has seven hits in his past 17 at-bats after going hitless in the previous 17.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Brad Keller (3-9, 4.32 ERA) is winless in his past six starts. He’s 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA in four career games against Toronto.

Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (3-10, 5.89) has lost nine straight decisions. He hasn’t faced the Royals since 2016.

— Associated Press —

TORONTO — Eric Sogard hit a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered twice for his second straight multi-homer game and the Toronto Blue Jays snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Randal Grichuk added a two-run homer for Toronto, which won its second straight at home following a seven-game losing streak.

Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run homer off Danny Duffy in the sixth and added a solo shot off Wily Peralta in the eighth, the fourth multi-homer game of his career. Gurriel Jr. also homered twice in Wednesday’s loss at Yankee Stadium.

He’s the fourth player in Blue Jays’ history with consecutive multi-homer games. The others were Josh Donaldson (2017), Edwin Encarnacion (2014), and Jesse Barfield (1983).

Gurriel Jr. has 14 homers in 125 at-bats since being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on May 24. He’s batting .352 (44 for 125) in that span.

Sogard broke a 2-2 tie with a two-out homer to right off Duffy (3-4). The homer was Sogard’s ninth, extending his career-high. Sogard began the season with 11 homers in eight seasons, and had never hit more than three in a season before this year.

Grichuk capped the scoring with a two-out homer off Tim Hill in the eighth, his team-leading 15th.

Right-hander Daniel Hudson (4-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win.

Duffy allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He’s winless in seven starts since beating the Los Angeles Angels on May 19.

Six of the 10 homers hit off Duffy this season have come in his last three starts.

The Royals have lost five of seven.

Sean Reid-Foley made his first start for the Blue Jays since April 1. The right-hander allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Kansas City’s Martin Maldonado opened the scoring with a two-out homer off Reid-Foley in the fifth, his fourth. Maldonado went 3 for 4 with three extra-base hits.

David Phelps replaced Reid-Foley in the sixth after Nicky Lopez doubled and Alex Gordon followed with an RBI single.

Toronto tied it in the bottom half on Gurriel’s first homer.

Kansas City loaded the bases against Joe Biagini in the seventh, but Hudson came on and got the Blue Jays out of the jam. First baseman Justin Smoak made a backhanded stop on Nicky Lopez’s grounder, then won the race to the bag to end the inning.

Gordon hit a leadoff double against Hudson in the eighth, but Hudson struck out the next three batters.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: INF Adalberto Mondesi (strained right groin) is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Saturday. Mondesi has been out since June 18.

Blue Jays: Smoak was activated off the injured list after missing 11 games because of a strained left quadriceps. OF Billy McKinney was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Homer Bailey (7-6, 4.61) makes his first career start against the Blue Jays. Toronto is the only major league team Bailey has yet to face.

Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (5-9, 3.04) pitched six shutout innings to beat Boston in his previous start, June 23 at Fenway Park.

— Associated Press —

CLEVELAND — Trevor Bauer finally felt like himself Wednesday.

Bauer struck out a season-high 12 and held Kansas City to one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 5-3 win over the Royals.

The win was only the second since April 30 for Bauer, a stretch that has left him searching for answers the past couple of months.

“It’s been a struggle, but hopefully that’s all in the past now,” Bauer said.

Bauer (6-6) had the 23rd double-figure strikeout game of his career and his fourth this season. The right-hander didn’t allow a hit until rookie Humberto Arteaga singled with two outs in the fifth.

Bauer says some physical limitations have caused a dip in both the velocity and movement on his pitches.

“Everyone’s banged up throughout the year,” he said. “But I’m working through it. Feel good about where I’m at right now.”

Bauer matched a career high by throwing 127 pitches, the final hitting 97 mph on a walk to Cam Gallagher. He got a standing ovation and tipped his cap on the way to the dugout after being removed with two on in the seventh.

“From the first pitch of the game, he looked so much more like Trevor,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “All his pitches crisp, velocity. When you’ve got a guy who can pitch over 120 and that’s the hardest pitch of the day, that’s saying something.”

Jake Bauers and Tyler Naquin homered off Jakob Junis in the fourth. Bauers had gone 15 at-bats without a hit before his leadoff blast.

Jason Kipnis, Oscar Mercado and Jordan Luplow also drove in runs for Cleveland. Francisco Lindor was 3 for 4 and scored two runs.

Junis (4-7) allowed four runs in six innings and hasn’t won since May 30.

“It was all right,” Junis said. “It could have been better because I made a couple of mistakes. They took advantage of my fastball over the plate.”

Lucas Duda homered in the ninth for Kansas City off Nick Wittgren. Pinch-hitter Alex Gordon singled in a run before Wittgren struck out Billy Hamilton and Whit Merrfield to end the game. The Royals struck out 16 times.

Hunter Dozier, whose ninth-inning grand slam off closer Brad Hand gave the Royals an 8-6 win on Tuesday night, struck out in all four at-bats.

Bauer hit Gallagher with a 3-2 breaking pitch with one out in the third. He also hit Jorge Soler in the left shoulder to lead off the seventh.

Bauer was removed after Gallagher drew a two-out walk, but Nick Goody retired Billy Hamilton on a popup.

Arteaga hit a sharp ground ball under the glove of first baseman Bobby Bradley, who made a diving attempt in the fifth. After Gallagher singled to right, Hamilton’s bloop double scored Arteaga.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez (right elbow) has been cleared to resume catching on the side, but is still not permitted to throw a baseball. The six-time All-Star underwent Tommy John surgery on March 6 and is not expected to play this season.

Indians: RHP Corey Kluber will undergo tests on his broken right arm Thursday. He’ll begin playing catch if the results show the bone is still healing properly. … RHP Carlos Carrasco, who was diagnosed with a blood condition, has been playing catch with his teammates. “It’s not gonna hurt him in any way and they’ve encouraged him to have activity,” Francona said.

STAY AWAY

The Indians will have their first day off since June 13 on Thursday. Francona doesn’t want his relievers to show up at Progressive Field.

“Our bullpen really deserves a day away from the ballpark,” he joked. “If they come in to throw they should be released.”

HOMER HAPPY

Royals right-hander Homer Bailey is riding a three-start winning streak for the first time since 2014 and has a team-high seven victories.

Manager Ned Yost credits pitching coach Cal Eldred for helping Bailey bounce back from a 1-14 season with the Reds.

“When we talked about bringing Homer in, Cal said, `Look, I think I’ve seen some things on video that we can fix,” Yost said. “He started working with him when we got to spring training. Homer has been really good ever since.”

Bailey’s next start is scheduled for Saturday against Toronto.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (3-3, 4.48 ERA) opens a four-game series Friday at Toronto. He pitched a season-high eight innings against Minnesota in a no-decision on June 22.

Indians: RHP Mike Clevinger (1-1, 2.70), who sprained his left ankle on June 17 at Texas, will be activated off the 10-day injured list to start Friday at Baltimore.

— Associated Press —

CLEVELAND — Brad Hand’s sublime season came to stunning end.

For once, the Royals mustered some late-game magic.

Hunter Dozier’s grand slam capped Kansas City’s five-run rally in the ninth inning off Hand, Cleveland’s previously perfect All-Star closer, as the Royals rallied for an 8-6 win over the Indians on Tuesday night.

Hand (4-3) had been 22 for 22 in save chances and is likely on his way to being selected to represent the Indians when they host the All-Star game at Progressive Field next month.

But the left-hander did not record an out against the Royals, who entered the ninth down 6-3 before storming back.

“It was a fun comeback,” said Royals manager Ned Yost. “It was an uplifting comeback. We always come to this place and it’s just a handful for us here in Cleveland — every time, I don’t know why. I’d much rather play them at our park, but it is always a handful. To battle back and take this one here was nice.”

The Royals had been 0-42 when trailing after eight innings before recording their biggest ninth-inning comeback in two years.

Nicky Lopez had an RBI infield single before Kansas City loaded the bases and Dozier connected on Hand’s first pitch — a slider — for his first career grand slam and 13th homer.

“Yeah,” said Dozier, downplaying his big moment. “That was really cool.”

Hand looked shaky from the outset, and was pulled after allowing five hits in just 13 pitches.

“He just proved he’s human,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “He had been pretty much flawless. It hurts to lose a game, but to expect somebody to never give up runs is not realistic.”

Hand offered no excuses, saying he wasn’t tired despite pitching five times in the past six days.

“I felt physically good,” he said. “I’d let him (Francona) know if something felt tired or whatever, but I felt good, just didn’t make some pitches. I got ahead, was trying to bury a few sliders and left them up. Sometimes when you throw too many strikes, it comes back to hurt you. Just got ahead of a few of those batters and made some mistakes.”

Kevin McCarthy (2-1) pitched the eighth and stumbled into a win, and Ian Kennedy worked the ninth for his 10th save, striking out Carlos Santana with a runner at second for the final out.

Tyler Naquin hit a two-run homer and Santana, Roberto Perez and Mike Freeman had solo shots for the Indians, who were three outs away from their fifth straight win before Hand imploded.

POWER COMPANY

One bright spot for the Indians was getting homers from their Nos. 7, 8 and 9 homers. Cleveland’s offense has been steadily improving and a big reason for the club’s surge in June.

“We did some good things offensively,” Francona said. “It’s just one of those nights where they came back and snatched one from us. We’ve done that before. It hurts.”

CLEVELAND ROCKED

The Royals snapped a three-game losing streak at Progressive Field and improved to just 8-23 in Cleveland since 2016.

START AND STOP

Indians starter Shane Bieber stayed around for 5 2/3 innings, and was in position to get the win when he left, but was unsatisfied with his performance.

“It was kind of one of those days where maybe my stuff was OK, but it felt like I was out of sync and yanking some sliders and some curveballs and not as good of command as usual,” he said. “Even then, I had a lot of opportunities to go deeper in the game.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: LHP Eric Skoglund’s 80-game suspension for testing positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs ends Wednesday. Skoglund was in the mix to make Kansas City’s rotation before the ban. He’s made three minor league rehab starts and will be added to the 40-man roster.

Indians: RHP Mike Clevinger will be activated Friday to start the series opener in Baltimore. Clevinger has been sidelined with a sprained ankle sustained in his first start after returning from an eight-week stint on the injured list with a strained back muscle. Francona said Clevinger’s bullpen session was intense. “Looked like Game 7 of the World Series,” he said. … OF Jake Bauers felt better after rolling his left ankle during batting practice Monday. Bauers was initially scared he was more seriously injured. “He said he almost kind of blacked out,” said Francona, who was surprised to learn Bauers had never sprained an ankle. “I could do that sleeping,” he cracked.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (4-6, 5.18 ERA) makes his seventh career start against the Indians. He pitched seven innings of two-hit ball against Cleveland on Sept. 3.

Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer (5-6, 3.69) is winless in his last eight starts at home. He allowed a season-high tying 10 hits in his last start on June 21 at Detroit.

— Associated Press —

CLEVELAND — Jason Kipnis homered leading off the 10th inning as the Cleveland Indians continued their impressive June with a 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night in a game delayed 2 hours, 23 minutes by rain.

Kipnis connected on a 1-0 pitch from Wily Peralta (2-4), driving it into the right-field seats for his sixth homer. As the ball sailed into the stands, Kipnis dropped his bat, circled the bases and made a nifty spin move as neared the plate to avoid being splashed by teammate Francisco Lindor, who tried to soak him with a Gatorade cooler.

The Indians have won 14 of 19 and improved to an AL-best 15-6 this month.

Kipnis has been a big part of Cleveland’s early-summer surge. He’s batting .471 with four homers and 14 RBI in his past nine games.

Brad Hand (4-2) worked a perfect 10th as Indians manager Terry Francona was forced to use six pitchers because of the weather.

Indians rookie slugger Bobby Bradley, who delivered an RBI double in his first major league at-bat after being recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Sunday, put the Indians up in the sixth with a run-scoring double.

Whit Merrifield homered for the Royals, who sit at the bottom of the AL Central.

With the score tied 1-1 in sixth, Jose Ramirez walked with two outs before Bradley hit a liner that split center fielder Billy Hamilton and right fielder Merrifield, who cut the ball off with a soggy, sliding stop near the warning track.

But Kansas City’s relay was not in time to get Ramirez, and Bradley, who was leading the International League in homers, celebrated at second by raising his arms and motioning toward his teammates in the dugout.

Blanked for three innings before the rain stoppage by Royals starter Brad Keller, the Indians tied it 1-all shortly after play resumed on back-to-back doubles by Santana and Ramirez, who is again showing signs of emerging from a baffling batting slump.

Ramirez has hiked his average up to .217, a season-high but 100 points before his .317 clip in 2017.

Indians starter Adam Plutko didn’t give up a hit until the fourth, when Whit Merrifield led off with his 11th homer, a shot to left that barely crept over the 19-foot-high wall. Plutko got through the rest of the inning unscathed before the rain intensified and caused the lengthy delay.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 2B Adalberto Mondesi (right groin strain) is expected to come off the 10-day injured list when eligible on June 29. He was put on the shelf following Kansas City’s June 18 game in Seattle.

Indians: OF Jake Bauers rolled his left ankle shagging flies during pregame batting practice and was scratched 90 minutes before the first pitch. Bauers took pregame swings in the cage, but the Indians decided to rest him. … RHP Mike Clevinger will throw a “full-fledged bullpen” Tuesday, a final hurdle before he’s activated from the injured list with a sprained ankle. Clevinger is scheduled to start Friday at Baltimore.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Glenn Sparkman (2-3, 3.62 ERA) allowed one run — a homer — and tossed a career-high seven innings in his previous start against Minnesota.

Indians: RHP Shane Bieber (6-3, 3.86 ERA) has won both career starts against Kansas City despite a 6.35 ERA. He’s 8-2 in 14 starts against AL Central opponents.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In the span of a week, Hunter Dozier went from the injured list to the delivery room to the star role in the Kansas City Royals’ 6-1 win over the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins.

The young slugger hit a three-run shot during a five-run third inning Sunday, made a couple of stellar defensive plays at third base and gave Homer Bailey and the Kansas City bullpen all the offense they needed against the Twins on a soggy, overcast afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

“I knew my timing was going to be off,” said Dozier, who had been sidelined the last three weeks with an oblique strain. “I felt better today. Hopefully keep getting better and better.”

Dozier returned to the team on Friday after spending the previous night in the hospital, where his wife gave birth to the couple’s second child. And while he struggled at the plate in his first couple of games back, that timing seemed to have returned against Minnesota.

“They struck him out with a slider the first time up, and the second time they tried the same ploy,” Royals manager Ned Yost said, “and it didn’t work.”

Bailey (7-6) only made one significant mistake, leaving a pitch over the plate that Eddie Rosario steered inside the right-field foul pole. Otherwise, the revitalized right-hander followed back-to-back scoreless starts against Detroit and Seattle by giving up five hits and a walk.

The Royals’ bullpen shut down the Twins the rest of the way. Kevin McCarthy left the bases loaded in the seventh, then recorded the next six outs to earn his first career save.

“I’d hoped it would come a little sooner,” he said, “but I’m glad I got it.”

Alex Gordon added two RBI and Nicky Lopez also drove in a run for the Royals, who did most of their damage against Michael Pineda (4-4) in the third inning. Pineda wound up lasting five, allowing eight hits while taking his first loss since May 5 at Yankee Stadium.

He didn’t get much support as the Twins stranded 11 runners on base.

“Bailey threw the ball well. He had to work for everything, but he made good pitches when he had to,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “When you get that big hit or a couple of big hits, it can give you a lift. It’s tough to get that first big hit with people on base, and we didn’t get that.”

With rain in the forecast, Bailey and Pineda engaged in a tidy pitchers’ duel through the first couple innings. But that ended abruptly when Pineda took the mound in the third.

After retiring Martin Maldonado, the big right-hander gave up a base hit to Billy Hamilton — the first of what would become five straight. And they came in quite the variety: Whit Merrifield delivered on a hit-and-run, Lopez had a bunt single and Gordon doubled down the right-field line.

The big blow came from Dozier, though. His three-run shot soared over the visiting bullpen in left field, giving Kansas City a 5-0 lead and the youngster another boost in his All-Star bid.

Dozier is among the three AL finalists at third base in voting that begins Wednesday.

“In the third inning they got some soft contact. I hang one pitch, my slider and they hit a big homer,” Pineda said. “That cost me the game. I just tried to compete.”

Bailey’s streak of 16 2/3 scoreless innings finally ended when Rosario cracked his 20th homer of the year leading off the fourth inning. But Bailey got a modicum of revenge in the sixth, when he struck out Rosario after a 14-pitch at-bat to conclude his afternoon.

STATS AND STREAKS

The Twins’ Jorge Polanco extended his 36-game on-base streak with a single in the seventh. That is tied for fifth-longest in club history. … Luis Arraez had his first four-hit game for Minnesota. … Bailey has not allowed more than three runs in a start since April 30.

NEGRO LEAGUES SALUTE

The Royals wore uniforms of the 1942 Kansas City Monarchs and the Twins dressed as the St. Paul Gophers from 1908 for their throwback day at the K. It also was “Dressed to the Nines” day at the park, and many fans came dressed in suits, dresses and vintage clothing.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins OF Byron Buxton hit before the game to test his right wrist, and manager Rocco Baldelli said it’s possible he could play Tuesday. “We have to make sure he’s 100 percent before we activate him for a game,” Baldelli said. “We’re very close to making a decision.” … RHP Jose Berrios should make his next start despite leaving Saturday’s game with a blister, Baldelli said.

UP NEXT

The Royals head to Cleveland on Monday night to open a three-game set with RHP Brad Keller (3-9, 4.45 ERA) on the hill. The Twins are off Monday before starting a three-game set against Tampa Bay.

— Associated Press —