KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jason Kubel drove in three runs and Brian Duensing, with the help of four relievers, earned his first major league win Saturday night as the Minnesota Twins held on for an 8-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
The Royals went 3 for 19 with runners in scoring position while their home record in the season they unveiled $275 million in stadium renovations dropped to a major league-worst 25-38.
Duensing (1-1), making his second career start, went five innings and allowed two runs, on a double by Miguel Olivo, the next-to-last batter he faced. The left-hander gave up six hits and one walk while striking out three.
Royals starter Kyle Davies (4-9) was charged with six runs, four hits and three walks in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out six.
Michael Cuddyer's solo homer in the second was his 20th, giving the Twins four players with 20 or more for the first time since 1987. Kubel's two-run double made it 3-0.
Joe Mauer reached leading off the sixth when he struck out on Davies' wild pitch, the major league-leading 71st for Kansas City. After the Royals barely failed to turn what would have been an inning-ending double play, Delmon Young drove in Mauer with an RBI single, chasing Davies and putting the Twins on top 4-2.
Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla hit RBI singles off Ron Mahay, who has inherited 29 runners and allowed 18 to score.
David DeJesus, with his AL-leading 10th triple, drove in two runs off Bobby Keppel to bring the Royals to 6-4 in the sixth. DeJesus and Mark Teahen each had three hits for Kansas City.
Matt Guerrier got five outs for his fourth career save and first this year.
The Twins got their eighth run on Cuddyer's bloop double, and the Royals got a run in the ninth on Yuniesky Betancourt's fielder's choice grounder.
After Kubel's RBI single made it 7-4 in the seventh, the Royals loaded the bases with two singles and a four-pitch walk by Jesse Crain. Jose Mijares came in and Teahen's RBI single made it 7-5. With one out, Betancourt lifted a high fly into shallow center that Carlos Gomez dropped. One run scored, but Alberto Callaspo was thrown out trying to go from second to third.
Mauer was 1 for 3 with two walks and his major league-leading average stayed at .378.
The Royals had runners at second and third with two outs in the third but second baseman Casilla made a diving stop of Butler's hard-hit grounder, saving at least one run and possibly two.
NOTES: The last time four Twins hitters reached 20 homers in the same season, they were Gary Gaetti, Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett and Tom Brunansky. ... The Royals hope to get RF Jose Guillen off the disabled list by Sept. 1. He's been out since July 23 with a right knee sprain. ... Against Kansas City this year, Mauer is 17 for 35 with eight walks.