MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Luke Hudson threw seven strong innings, Ryan Shealy hit a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins for the second straight night, 4-3 on Wednesday.
Minnesota, which has lost three in a row overall, entered the night a half-game behind Chicago in the wild-card standings. They began the series with a half-game lead on the White Sox after taking two of three in Chicago. But the last-place Royals outpitched them for the second straight night.
Hudson (7-5) recovered from a shaky start, allowing five hits and striking out five to record his sixth win as a starter this year. He loaded the bases by hitting a batter in the first, and also threw a wild pitch in the third and allowed a homer to Michael Cuddyer in the same inning, but gradually regained control.
Jimmy Gobble threw a scoreless eighth, and Joe Nelson picked up his fourth save in as many chances despite giving up Cuddyer's second home run of the game to lead off the ninth.
The Royals needed only one good inning to spoil an otherwise solid outing by Twins starter Boof Bonser (3-5). He tied his career high with eight strikeouts -- seven swinging -- but was pulled after allowing four hits in the sixth and blowing a 2-0 lead.
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Kansas City tied it in the sixth when David DeJesus led off with a sharp single to right and Mark Grudzielanek followed with a high arching shot to center that eluded Torii Hunter's glove and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double.
Bonser responded by striking out Mark Teahen for the third time, but Mike Sweeney singled past Jason Bartlett at short to score DeJesus and Grudzielanek.
Emil Brown followed with a single to chase Bonser, and the Royals took a 3-2 lead on Shealy's single off reliever Jesse Crain.
Andres Blanco hit a bloop single to make it 4-2 in the ninth.
The Twins snapped a 19-inning scoreless streak in the third on Cuddyer's two-out homer after Luis Castillo led off the inning with an infield single.
NOTES: Castillo left in the sixth with a sprained right ankle while trying to field Brown's single. Castillo is listed day-to-day. ... Twins LHP Francisco Liriano (arm) threw off a mound for the first time since going on the disabled list Aug. 8. Liriano threw about 45 pitches, only fastballs and changeups, in a 20-minute session.
