Sano homers, Twins beat Royals 8-5 to snap 4-game skid

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Miguel Sano belted a two-run homer, Eddie Rosario hit a three-run double and the Minnesota Twins snapped a four-game skid with an 8-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.

Lance Lynn (3-4) pitched six effective innings to win his second consecutive start after a dreadful stretch in his first season with the Twins.

Sano extended his hitting streak against the Royals to 15 games. He is batting .373 with six home runs and 26 RBIs in those 15 games.

The slugger drove a 1-1 pitch from Jakob Junis out to center field with Brian Dozier aboard in the fifth inning.

Rosario drilled a three-run double in the eighth off Burch Smith. Dozier’s sixth-inning single scored Mitch Garver, who added a two-run double in the ninth.

Lynn allowed two runs and six hits. He’s given up two runs and 11 hits over 12 2/3 innings in his past two outings.

The right-hander worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second by striking out Alcides Escobar and retiring Ramon Torres on a grounder. The Royals went 4 for 19 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 overall.

Fernando Rodney got four outs for his 11th save in 14 chances. He gave up a ninth-inning homer to Jorge Soler.

Jon Jay had four hits for Kansas City, including three doubles, to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.

Junis (5-4) permitted three runs on six hits and walked a career-high four. He struck out seven.

The Royals tied it at 2 in the fifth when Mike Moustakas’ double scored Jay and Whit Merrifield, who walked.

Kansas City got two runs in the eighth. Zach Duke’s throwing error on Jay’s bunt single allowed Escobar to score. Merrifield’s single knocked in Torres with the second run.

NOT SO SWEET AT HOME

The Royals have lost 19 of 26 at Kauffman Stadium.

ROSTER MOVES

Twins: Claimed INF Taylor Motter off waivers from Seattle. Motter has a .197 batting average in 132 games over three major league seasons with the Mariners and Rays. He will report to Triple-A Rochester.

Royals: RHP Scott Barlow was recalled from Triple-A Omaha, where he was 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA in seven games. LHP Eric Stout, who yielded two homers and three runs in one-third of an inning Sunday at Texas, was optioned to Omaha.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: RHP Ervin Santana (right middle finger surgery) will make his second minor league rehab start Tuesday for Class A Fort Myers. . 1B Joe Mauer (neck strain) has been taking batting practice and grounders at Target Field. “He hasn’t had any setbacks,” manager Paul Molitor said. “We don’t want to get too excited about the potential of him being ready sooner than later.” Mauer could be activated Thursday when the Twins return home.

Royals: LHP Eric Skoglund (Grade 1 UCL strain) was relieved after an MRI revealed he won’t need Tommy John surgery. “They said the UCL looks strong, it was just the fluid buildup,” Skoglund said. “It’s exciting news that nothing was going on with the UCL. Just kind of get strong now in that area and let that fluid get out and get back to work. I was freaking out when I was in Texas. It wasn’t a good feeling, especially when I found out it (surgery) was a possibility.”

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson, a Missouri product, is 6-4 with a 3.46 ERA in 16 career starts against the Royals.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy is coming off his best outing of the year, when he allowed one run in a season-high 7 2/3 innings to beat the Rangers.

___

More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Minnesota Twins’ Eddie Rosario hits a three RBI double during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Minnesota Twins’ Brian Dozier points to the third base coach after scoring on a double by teammate Eddie Rosario during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Minnesota Twins catcher Mitch Garver is hit by a pitch from Kansas City Royals starter Jakob Junis during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Minnesota Twins’ Miguel Sano is congratulated by teammates after his two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Kansas City Royals center fielder Jon Jay climbs the wall after a home run ball hit by Minnesota Twins’ Miguel Sano during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 28, 2018. It was a two-run home run by Sano. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Minnesota Twins’ Mitch Garver hits a two-run double during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 28, 2018. The Twins defeated the Royals 8-5. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Fernando Rodney (56) smiles with catcher Mitch Garver, back, following a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 28, 2018. The Twins defeated the Royals 8-5. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Kansas City Royals designated hitter Mike Moustakas hits a two-run double off Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Lance Lynn during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jakob Junis delivers to a Minnesota Twins batter during the first inning of a baseball game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier points to fans before a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, May 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)