Twins 7, Royals 5
MINNEAPOLIS -- Eduardo Nunez had three hits, including a leadoff home run, as the Minnesota Twins salvaged the final game of a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals, winning 7-5 on Wednesday afternoon at Target Field.
Nunez hit the second pitch of the game from Royals starter Dillon Gee over the fence in left field for his fourth home run of the season. It was the first career leadoff homer for Nunez.
Two pitches later, Brian Dozier hit one into the second deck in left for his fifth homer of the year and a quick 2-0 lead for Minnesota.
It was the fifth time in team history the Twins led off the game with back-to-back homers and the first time since Danny Santana and Dozier did it on June 9, 2014.
Santana's RBI single in the second gave Minnesota a 3-0 edge before Kansas City rallied with a five-run fourth to retake the lead.
But Gee couldn't hold it, surrendering a run in the fourth and two in the fifth before leaving the game without retiring a hitter in the bottom of the fifth.
Gee (1-2) was charged with the loss, allowing six runs (five earned), 10 hits and a walk in four-plus innings.
Twins starter Tyler Duffey struggled in the fifth but was otherwise solid, picking up his second win of the season. He gave up five runs, nine hits and two walks but struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. Duffey (2-3) became the first Twins starter with two victories.
Twins fill-in closer Kevin Jepsen worked around a one-out double in the ninth for his fourth save.
Alcides Esocbar had three hits and Eric Hosmer drove in two runs for Kansas City, which won the first two games of the series. The Royals lost to the Twins for the first time this year (5-1) and saw a nine-game inning steak against Minnesota dating to last season snapped.
Trailing 3-0 against Duffey in the fourth, the Royals got a single from Whit Merrifield and a walk from Lorenzo Cain, setting the table for Hosmer, who ripped a two-run double to left.
After a balk by Duffey, Salvador Perez continued his hot hitting with a double off the wall in right to score Hosmer.
A strikeout and a groundout gave Duffey a chance to limit the damage further, but a two-out triple by Omar Infante knocked in Perez. Infante scored on a wild pitch for a 5-3 lead.
Nunez doubled in a run in the bottom of the inning before Miguel Sano's two-run blast into the second deck in left in the fifth gave the Twins the lead for good and ended Gee's afternoon.
Minnesota tacked on one run with an RBI single by Byung Ho Park in the seventh.
NOTES: Royals 3B Mike Moustakas was not in the lineup for a third consecutive day because of a bruised knee. He will be re-evaluated in Kansas City on Thursday. ... Twins OF Darin Mastroianni was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique. Mastroianni doesn't have a hit in nine at-bats with the Twins but has a walk and a stolen base in 14 appearances. ... Twins LHP Glen Perkins was transferred to the 60-day disabled list because of setback in his recovery from a left shoulder strain. Perkins, who was placed on the disabled list on April 13, has pitched in only two innings this season. ... The Twins selected the contract of LHP Buddy Boshers from Triple-A Rochester. Boshers was 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in 15 relief appearances with Rochester this season. ... The Royals will begin a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday at Kaufmann Stadium. Chicago will send RHP Miguel Gonzalez (0-1, 4.57 ERA) to the mound against Kansas City LHP Danny Duffy (0-0, 2.13 ERA). ... The Twins are off on Thursday before beginning a six-game road trip in Seattle on Friday against the Mariners. Twins LHP Pat Dean (0-1, 3.86 ERA) will oppose Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez (4-3, 2.21 ERA).