Sat Apr 5 00:08:50 2008

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Twins snap skid with win over Royals

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Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Carlos Gomez finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and Adam Everett drove in the winning run on a bunt as Minnesota clipped Kansas City, 4-3, in the opener of a three-game weekend set from the Metrodome.

Joe Mauer collected two hits and an RBI for the Twins, who snapped a three- game slide after an Opening Day win over the Angels. Justin Morneau and Delmon Young also knocked in a run each.

Scott Baker (1-0) got the win, allowing seven hits and three runs over 6 2/3 innings. Joe Nathan earned his second save of the year with a scoreless inning of relief.

The news wasn't all good, as right fielder Michael Cuddyer left the game in the bottom of the third inning with a dislocation of and laceration to his right index finger sliding into third base in a collision with the Royals' Alex Gordon. Cuddyer was 2-for-2 prior to the mishap.

"That was too bad. Glad to know nothing's broken, so we got the best news we could out of that one," Morneau admitted. "Hopefully he won't be out too long. We want him to rest and be healthy. He was just being aggressive, running the bases well."

Following the game, the Twins placed Cuddyer on the 15-day disabled list and recalled outfielder Denard Span from Rochester of the International League to fill the roster spot.

Billy Butler went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Royals, who suffered their first loss of the season after beginning the year by sweeping the Tigers in Detroit. John Buck and Jose Guillen also drove in a run in defeat.

KC starter John Bale took the loss (0-1) after being charged with 10 hits and four runs over 6 1/3 frames. Bale started his first game since September 18, 2003, against the Pirates as a member of the Reds.

Minnesota pushed across what proved to be the winning run in the fourth inning. Mike Lamb led off with a double. He went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Mike Tolbert, then Everett dropped down another sacrifice. This one, a squeeze bunt back the mound, was slow enough to allow Lamb to cross the plate.

The Royals collected just two hits from the fifth through the eighth innings, while the Twins only had a pair of baserunners in that span.

Nathan closed the door on the Royals in the ninth, working around Butler's two-out single to get Mark Teahen looking to end the contest.

KC picked up a pair of runs in its first at-bat on a Guillen ground out and Butler's RBI single.

Minnesota countered in the home half on Mauer's run-scoring single, but the Royals answered in the top of the second on Buck's RBI single to center that scored Teahen.

The Twins then knotted the game in the third on a Morneau double and a Young RBI ground out.

"We put some good at-bats out there early, but he made an adjustment and we didn't," said Buck of Baker. "Then they went to their pen and those two (Neshek and Nathan) got a filthy repertoire. They don't make it easy by any means."

Game Notes

Each team won nine games in the season series a year ago...Prior to the game, the Twins announced that Kevin Slowey would not make his next scheduled start, after feeling stiffness in his pitching arm during Thursday's game...Royals second baseman Mark Grudzielanek is hitting .500 (8-for-16) after a 2-for-4 performance at the plate.