KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Michael Cuddyer's towering home run
keyed Minnesota's biggest inning in more than a month, and Johan
Santana won his ninth straight decision against Kansas City with an
11-4 romp Wednesday night.
Cuddyer's two-run, 442-foot shot off Odalis Perez in the
five-run third was the first for Minnesota since Torii Hunter went
deep on July 31, a span of 242 plate appearances that had left the
Twins as the only major league team without an August homer.
Cuddyer also had an RBIs single.
Hunter added a two-run shot off Ryan Braun in the fifth, had an
RBIs single in the sixth and doubled in the eighth, as every Twins
starter hit safely amid the 19-hit attack.
Mike Redmond tied a career-high with four singles and Justin
Morneau, who snapped an 0-for-17 skid with two doubles the night
before, had a home run taken away by umpires but still wound up
with two more doubles.
Santana (12-9) went six innings and is 9-0 in his last 12 starts
and 12-3 lifetime against Kansas City. The left-hander gave up two
runs and eight hits, with two walks and six strikeouts while
raising his career mark in August to 22-5.
Morneau doubled into right-center and scored on a single in the
third by Redmond. Then Morneau's drive in the fifth hit the edge of
the top of the fence in left-center and bounced back onto the
field.
He was awarded a home run at first. But Royals manager Buddy
Bell argued and after umpires conferred for several minutes,
Morneau was returned to second with a double.
When play finally resumed, Hunter hit Braun's next pitch for his
23rd home run.
Morneau was thrown out by center fielder David DeJesus in the
sixth trying to stretch a single into what would have been his
fifth double in two games.
Minnesota batted around and scored five runs off Perez (6-11) in
the third after scoring more than one run only once in its previous
55 innings.
The Twins' six hits in the inning tied a season high, and the
five runs were the most they've scored in an inning since plating
six in the seventh inning of a 12-0 victory over the White Sox in
the second game of a July 6 doubleheader.
The Royals got two off Santana in the sixth on Emil Brown's
run-scoring double and John Buck's infield single. Buck doubled
home a run off Ramon Ortiz in the eighth.
Perez lasted only three innings and was charged with six runs --
three earned -- on seven hits. He had one walk and no strikeouts and
left with what the Royals described as leg soreness.
Nick Punto laid down a sacrifice bunt and third baseman Esteban
German threw wildly to first, allowing Alexi Casilla to score from
second with the first run of the third. Jason Bartlett went from
first to third and after Joe Mauer's sacrifice fly, Cuddyer slammed
a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left.
Game notes
Mauer had two RBIs for the Twins, who had gone 16 straight
games without scoring more than five runs. ... Santana hasn't lost
to the Royals since May 29, 2004. ... The Royals still have not
signed California high school power-hitter Mike Moustakas, the
overall No. 2 pick in the June draft. General manager Dayton Moore
said he remained optimistic a deal would get done by the Aug. 15
deadline.