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 Aaron Hicks opened the game with a home run, and Tommy Milone picked
up a rare road victory as the Minnesota Twins topped the Kansas City
Royals 6-2 Monday night.
The Royals lost their fourth straight, equaling their worst losing
streak of the season. It is the third time this season the club lost
four in a row.
Milone (8-4) recorded just his second road victory. The left-hander
stymied the Royals on six hits and two runs over seven innings. He
walked one and struck out four.
"I thinking getting ahead (in the count) was real important and
expanding the zone from there," Milone said. "Coming in with
off-speed pitches, being able to throw pitches for strikes and being
able to keep it down in the zone was real important and keeping the
ball on the ground."
Milone was on the disabled list the first two weeks of July with an
elbow strain.
"The two-week stint on the DL kind of helped get a refresher there,"
Milone said. "I'm feeling pretty strong right now."
Shortstop Eduardo Escobar drove in three of the Twins' runs. His
single in a three-run sixth scored right fielder Torii Hunter.
Escobar also had a two-run single in the seventh, and he finished
3-for-3.
"Some of the things we talked about include confidence," Twins
manager Paul Molitor said. "When you're putting the barrel on the
ball and you're seeing the ball a little bit better. One of the
things, he's improved on as of late is his patience."
Hunter had two hits and two runs.
Twins relievers Trevor May and Kevin Jepsen each threw a scoreless
inning to close out the win.
Yordano Ventura, who won his four previous decisions, took the loss,
giving up four runs on eight hits and five walks in 5 1/3 innings.
Ventura (10-8) threw 107 pitches and struck out eight before he was
replaced by Kelvin Herrera. Two Ventura wild pitches led to two runs
in the sixth.
"I felt strong, and when I feel strong and you've got a curveball
like I've got, sometimes you hold onto it a little bit too long,"
Ventura said through a translator. "That happens. I was throwing it
like a strikeout pitch, and that will happen from time to time."
Herrera retired the only two batters he faced in his first outing
since contacting chickenpox late last month.
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Hicks, the Minnesota center fielder, deposited Ventura's third pitch
into the Twins' bullpen for his second career leadoff home run. It
was the Twins' major-league-leading eighth leadoff homer this
season.
The Royals tied it in the bottom of the first.
Center fielder Lorenzo Cain singled with one out and advanced to
third on first baseman Eric Hosmer's single to right. Designated
hitter Kendrys Morales got Cain home with a fielder's choice
grounder for his 100th RBI.
Cain, Hosmer and third baseman Mike Moustakas each had two hits for
Kansas City.
"We haven't played up to our standard," Royals manager Ned Yost said
of the losing skid. "I think our starting pitching hasn't been
exceptionally sharp through this run, and offensively, we've faced
some tough pitching."
NOTES: RHPs Joba Chamberlain and Louis Coleman were promoted from
Triple-A Omaha, giving the Royals a 12-man bullpen. Kansas City
designated RHP Yohan Pino and INF Dusty Coleman for assignment to
clear spots on the 40-man roster. ... Royals 2B Ben Zobrist was
moved to the leadoff spot, while SS Alcides Escobar batted ninth for
the first time this season. ... Twins RHP Phil Hughes, who is out
with a lower back injury, is scheduled to throw a three-inning
simulated game Wednesday. ... Royals OF Alex Rios was in uniform
after missing several games with chickenpox, but he didn't play. ...
Twins RHP Kyle Gibson and Royals RHP Edinson Volquez are the Tuesday
probables.
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