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Nunez, Twins rout Royals

Jul 2, 2014 - 5:46 AM Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Eduardo Nunez had three hits, including a solo homer, and scored three runs as the Minnesota Twins blew out the Kansas City Royals 10-2 on Tuesday night.

Kendrys Morales also had three hits for the Twins, who bounced back from a 6-1 loss on Monday in the opener of the three-game series to win for the second time in their last eight games.

"It was nice," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. "The offense came alive and a lot of good things happened."

Ricky Nolasco (5-6) earned his first win in his last five starts after giving up one run on eight hits in six innings.

Eric Hosmer had four this for the Royals, who fell to 0-3 in James Shields' last three starts.

Shields (8-4) gave up five runs -- four earned -- on nine hits in five innings.

"They just found a lot of holes today. It's definitely frustrating that I'm not getting outs, I'm letting my team down," Shields said.

Nunez got going early, leading off the first inning with a single and scored on Chris Parmelee's one-out double to left-center.

Mike Moustakas hit an RBI single for the Royals in the second but Minnesota regained the lead on Morales' RBI infield hit in the third to make it 2-1.

Nunez knocked in a run with a bases-loaded infield single in the fourth -- his short bloop to the first-base side didn't give the Royals a play anywhere -- and the Twins took a 5-1 lead when Joe Mauer followed by slicing a two-run double to left.

Mauer suffered a strained oblique on the play, Gardenhire said, and was replaced at first base by Josh Willingham in the fifth.

Michael Mariot replaced Shields to start the sixth and Nunez drove his third pitch over the left field wall for his third homer of the season. Parmelee hit a one-out single and scored later on an error to give Minnesota a 7-1 lead.

The Twins scored five runs in the inning, the last two on Sam Fuld's single.

Danny Valencia hit an RBI double in the eighth for Kansas City.

Game Notes

Nolasco struck out three and didn't issue a walk ... The Twins out-hit the Royals 15-10 ... Kansas City was 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, stranding seven men on base.