Pennant fever in the Metrodome? Twins sweep three-game series from Royals

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Following their best start in 22 years, the Kansas City Royals are finding the road a little bumpy.

The Royals lost their sixth straight road game Thursday night, 9-7 to the Minnesota Twins.

''We need to get back to fundamentals,'' Royals manager Tony Muser said following a postgame closed-door meeting with his team. ''Minnesota outhustled us.''

Nobody talked about the meeting, and losing pitcher Jose Rosado (1-2) didn't talk about the game, either.

Kansas City came to Minnesota after getting swept by the New York Yankees, and is 0-6 on this trip following an 8-3 start, its best since 1978. The Royals have not led at the end of any inning during the slide.

''We need to improve everywhere,'' Royals outfielder Johnny Damon said. ''We weren't catching balls. We need to pitch better, need to hit better. That about covers everything.''

Sean Bergman (1-0) won his first game for Minnesota, which also swept a three-game series from the Royals at the Metrodome last Aug. 27-29. Denny Hocking, Jason Maxwell, Matt Lawton and Butch Huskey homered for the Twins

''They played great behind me,'' Bergman said. ''We don't quit; we're going to keep going at them.''

Fourteen of Minnesota's 16 home runs this year have come against the Royals, who conclude their trip at Seattle this weekend.

''We need to keep the ball down,'' Damon said. ''They really seem to have found a groove against us.''

''Bad overall pitching,'' Muser added.

Kansas City pitchers have walked 30 during the team's slide, and wasted three save chances.

Bergman allowed four runs -- three earned -- and seven hits in five-plus innings for his first AL win since 1995 with Detroit. Bob Wells pitched 2 2-3 innings for his second save.

Rosado gave up six runs and nine hits in four-plus innings.

''Obviously, the ball was flying,'' Minnesota manager Tom Kelly said. ''The pitchers are really going to have to start pitching some ballgames.''

With the score 3-all in the fifth, Rosado walked Hocking and Lawton, Ron Coomer hit a two-run double, and Matt LeCroy added a sacrifice fly off Chris Fussell.

Jermaine Dye's sixth homer pulled the Royals to 6-4 in the sixth, but Maxwell and Lawton hit solo homers in the bottom half.

Damon and Carlos Beltran hit RBI singles off LaTroy Hawkins in the seventh, when Wells escaped a bases-loaded, two-outs jam on Joe Randa's popout.

KANSAS CITY MINNESOTA

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Damon lf 4 2 2 1 CGzmn ss 5 0 1 0

Febles 2b 4 1 2 1 Hcking 3b 4 2 2 1

CBeltrn cf 5 0 2 2 Lawton lf 4 2 2 1

Dye rf 5 1 2 1 Coomer 1b 4 1 1 2

MJSwy 1b 3 0 0 0 Huskey rf 4 2 3 1

Randa 3b 4 0 0 0 JJones lf 0 0 0 0

Quinn dh 4 1 2 1 Lecroy c 3 0 0 1

Fbrgas c 4 0 0 0 DOrtiz dh 3 1 2 1

RSnchz ss 4 2 2 0 THuntr cf 4 0 0 0

JMxwll 2b 4 1 2 2

Totals 37 7 12 6 Totals 35 9 13 9

Kansas City 003 001 210 -- 7

Minnesota 021 032 10x -- 9

E--RSanchez (1), THunter (2). DP--Kansas City 1, Minnesota 1. LOB--Kansas City 6, Minnesota 6. 2B--RSanchez 2 (5), CGuzman (6), Coomer (3), Huskey (3), DOrtiz 2 (4), JMaxwell (1). HR--Dye (6), Quinn (3), Hocking (1), Lawton (3), Huskey (2), JMaxwell (1). SB--Damon (6), Hocking (1). SF--Lecroy.

IP H R ER BB SO

Kansas City

Rosado L,1-2 4 9 6 6 2 3

Fussell 3 3 3 3 1 3

Bottalico 1 1 0 0 0 2

Minnesota

Bergman W,1-0 5 7 4 3 1 3

Hawkins 1 1-3 4 2 2 0 0

BWells S,2 2 2-3 1 1 1 1 4

Rosado pitched to 3 batters in the 5th, Bergman pitched to 1 batter in the 6th.

HBP--by Bergman (Febles). WP--BWells.

Umpires--Home, Lamplugh; First, Bell; Second, O'Nora; Third, Iassogna.

T--3:03. A--9,213 (48,678).