Sano drives in five as Twins top Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Miguel Sano drove in five runs, and Phil Hughes pitched effectively into the sixth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 7-5 on Sunday.
After losing 15 of 19 games to the Royals last season, the Twins are 5-0 against them this year. The Royals have lost nine in a row.
Sano hit a three-run homer in the third to erase an early 2-0 deficit. Sano hammered a first-pitch from Jason Hammel with Byron Buxton and Max Kepler aboard.
His singles in the fourth and sixth innings scored Buxton. Sano had his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, raising his average to .316.
Hughes (4-1) was charged with four runs on 10 hits, including a Lorenzo Cain home run, in 5 2/3 innings. He walked none and struck out four.
Brandon Kintzler collected his seventh save in as many chances, but not before giving up a homer to Whit Merrifield in the ninth.
Royals right-hander Jason Hammel (0-3) is winless in five starts. Hammel faced 19 batters and nine reached base -- six hits and three walks. He permitted five runs in three-plus innings.
Jorge Polancio's infield single in the ninth scored pinch runner Danny Santana for the final Minnesota run.
Kansas City scored a pair of runs in the second on four hits. Eric Hosmer started it with a fly ball single to shallow left and scored on Salvador Perez's double. Perez stopped at third on Alex Gordon's single and scored on Brandon Moss' two-out single.
Perez led off the sixth with his second double and scored on Alcides Escobar's two-out single, finishing Hughes' afternoon.
Cain hit a bases-empty home run, his first of the season, with two outs in the fifth.
Notes: Royals DH Brandon Moss had two singles with runners in scoring position. He was 0-for-9 with a sacrifice fly with RISP before Sunday. ... Twins SS Eddie Rosario had a single in the fourth to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, the longest for a Twin this season. ... Royals LHP Jason Vargas and White Sox RHP Dylan Covey are the pitching probables Monday to begin a four-game series. ... The Twins are off Monday before opening a three-game series at home with Oakland.