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Rare win from Bonser send Twins to victory

Sep 11, 2007 - 3:22 AM By Marc Bowman PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- Boof Bonser collected his second victory in three months and Justin Morneau drove in two runs as the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals, 4-2, on Monday.

Since starting the season 5-2, Bonser (7-12) had lost 10 of his last 15 starts, receiving the second-worst offensive support in the American League at 4.05 runs per game.

The righthander allowed two runs and five hits with four walks and six strikeouts over five innings.

After Torii Hunter drew a one-out walk in the sixth to drive Royals starter Billy Buckner (0-1) from the game, Morneau hit a 3-1 pitch from reliever Neal Musser into the left field corner for an RBI double to break up a 2-2 deadlock.

Morneau added an insurance run in his next at-bat, driving in Jason Bartlett with a two-out single in the seventh. It was Morneau's third multi-RBI game in his last six contests.

Reliever Matt Guerrier relieved Nick Blackburn and struck out the Royals' Esteban German to escape a bases-loaded jam in the eighth before Joe Nathan pitched a scoreless ninth for his 31st save in 35 chances.

Jason Kubel's second double of the game drove in Alexi Casilla and Bartlett to give the Twins a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

Kansas City's Mike Sweeney tied the game with a two-out double in the fifth, scoring Tony Pena Jr. and David DeJesus when his soft liner to the right-center field gap fell just out of reach of diving right fielder Michael Cuddyer.

Buckner took the first loss of his major league career. The righthander allowed three hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking five for the Royals, who have lost six straight - one shy of their longest losing streak of the season.