The Kansas City Royals improved to 71-66 with their 11-5 victory on Labor Day. They gained a 1/2 game on Cleveland pending the outcome of the Indians game against Houston to trail the AL Central leaders by 9.0 games. Kansas City remains 4.0 games behind the Orioles for the AL’s second wild card. The Twins fell to 51-87 and remain in last place in the AL Central.
KC Royals starter Ian Kennedy wobbled through 5.1 innings, allowing 9 hits, 2 walks, and 4 earned runs with 6 strikeouts. Twins second baseman Brian Dozier led off the game with a solo blast in the first, added a two-run shot in the third, and another solo home run off reliever Brooks Pounders in the eighth.