Kansas City splits doubleheader in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — Mike Minor won for the first time since 2014 and Brandon Moss hit two of Kansas City’s four home runs, leading the Royals over the Minnesota Twins 6-4 Sunday in a doubleheader opener.

Minor (1-1) relieved Jake Junis with a 5-2 lead in the fifth, two outs and two on. The 29-year-old lefthander walked Max Kepler, then retired Kennys Vargas on a popout. Minor retired the side in order in the sixth.

He had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder in May 13, 2015, and did not appear in the major leagues in 2015 and 2016. Minor, who signed a $7.25 million, two-year contract with the Royals in February 2016, got his first major league victory since Aug. 28, 2014, for Atlanta at the New York Mets, and his first win as a reliever.

Kelvin Herrera pitched a onehit ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances.

Salvador Perez and Jorge Bonifacio also went deep for the Royals, who had lost their seven previous games against Minnesota.

Junis, a 24-year-old right-hander, was recalled from Triple-A Omaha and made his first big league start after a pair of relief appearances. He allowed two runs, five hits and four walks in 42/3 innings, leaving after RBI singles from Brian Dozier and Miguel Sano.

Phil Hughes (4-3) gave up five runs and six hits — including three homers — in four innings, his second-shortest outing this season.

Perez hit a two-run homer in the second), Jorge Bonifacio hit a tworun drive in the fourth and Moss

homered two pitches later for a 5-0 lead. Moss homered again in the eighth against Adam Wilk.

In the second game, Robbie Grossman, Kepler and Chris Gemenez all homered to help the Twins beat Kansas City 8-4 to salvage a split.

Grossman and Kepler each hit two-run homers in the first inning, and Brian Dozier had an RBI double in the second off Ian Kennedy (0-4) in his first game back from the disabled list.

Minnesota’s offense helped lefthander Adalberto Mejia (1-1) earn his first career big league win.

Mejia was the Twins’ 26th active player for the second game and allowed three runs in seven innings, on two home runs by Perez.