Perez homers as Royals beat Twins, clinch rare series win

Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer and Brian Flynn pitched three scoreless innings of one-hit relief to pick up the win as the Kansas City Royals won their second straight game, 4-2, over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The victory, just the fourth in the last 17 games for Kansas City, guaranteed the Royals would win just their fourth series of the season and first since taking two out of three from the Twins on May 28-30 at Kauffman Stadium. Jakub Junis made his first start for the Royals since July 2nd after being placed on the disabled list with lower-back inflammation He left after four innings and 77 pitches (53 strikes), allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out six. Flynn (2-1) then blanked the Twins over the next three innings to pick up the win, striking out four. Wily Peralta pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his third save. Joe Mauer had three hits, including the 415th double of his career to break the franchise record set by Kirby Puckett, to lead Minnesota. Lance Lynn (7-8) took the loss, giving up three runs on three hits in five innings but also tying his career high with six walks. Lynn moved into the American League lead in walks with 61. Mauer lined the second pitch of the game into the alley in left-center for his 14th double of the season and moving past Puckett. He scored two pitches later on a single to right by Eddie Rosario. Kansas City took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first on Perez's 14th homer of the season into the right-field bleachers, driving in Mike Moustakas who had reached base on a force out. The Royals took advantage of Lynn's wildness to make it 3-1 in the third, loading the bases with three walks. Lucas Duda then lined a two-out single to left to drive in Alcides Escobar. The Twins closed to within 3-2 in the eighth inning when Rosario singled, went to second on a balk by reliever Jason Adam and scored on a single by Eduardo Escobar. Kansas City got the run back in the bottom half as Twins reliever Taylor Rogers issued back-to-back walks to Alex Gordon and Rosell Herrera to open the inning. After Alcides Escobar sacrificed, Whit Merrifield drove in Gordon with a ground single to left. --Field Level Media