Twins Complete Sweep, Beat Royals 6-4
Bannister loses 5th straight decision
By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Delmon Young had a three-run homer and the Minnesota Twins finished off a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 6-4 Wednesday.
Jason Repko also homered for the Twins, who hit 12 during a 6-1 road trip to Baltimore and KC to stay on the heels of the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
The Royals, who set a team record by allowing 42 runs and 53 hits in the three previous games, lost for 13th time in 16 games.
Brian Duensing (4-1) went six innings and gave up two runs on eight hits. Brian Bannister (7-10) lost his fifth straight decision, going six innings plus one batter and allowing five runs on 11 hits. Jon Rauch pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 25 chances.
Young has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games and is hitting .439 in July with six homers and 28 RBIs. Since May 21, his 63 RBIs are the most in baseball.
Denard Span singled on Bannister's first pitch and Joe Mauer hit his fourth double in three days. Young then muscled a 3-1 pitch 436 feet over the fence in left.
Repko hit his second home run of the year in the second inning, then the Twins made it 5-0 in the fourth on Span's RBI single. Jason Kubel added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
The Royals caught a break in the eighth when Billy Butler was safe at second after shortstop J.J. Hardy, who had just come in for an injured Nick Punto, made a high toss to second on a possible double-play grounder.
Wilson Betemit drew a one-out walk from Matt Guerrier, loading the bases, and Rick Ankiel's two-out, two-run single off Jose Mijares made it 5-4. Brayan Pena flied out to end the inning.
Punto left the game in the eighth after apparently hurting himself while bunting for a base hit.
Scott Podsednik singled in the third for KC to stretch his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games.
NOTES: Minnesota rookie Danny Valencia was 0 for 3 after going 8 for 9. ... Minnesota won the first two games by a combined 30-3. ... The 72 hits the Twins rang up in their four previous games - two against Baltimore, two against KC - were their most in a four-game span in team history. Their previous high was 62. ... The Royals recalled RHP Bryan Bullington from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday and optioned RHP Victor Marte to the Triple-A club.
Bullington went two innings and gave up two hits.
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