Royals loss gives them worst record

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Joe Mays pitched six solid innings for his first win since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2003 and Jason Bartlett drove in three runs, leading Minnesota to a 9-4 victory Wednesday night over the woeful Kansas City Royals.

Matthew LeCroy hit a two-run homer in support of Mays (1-0), who missed the entire 2004 season following surgery on Sept. 11, 2003. The 29-year-old right-hander gave up four runs on eight hits, with two walks and a strikeout. It was his third start of the season and first victory since he beat the Royals 16-2 on June 19, 2003.

Shawn Camp made an embarrassing, three-pitch relief outing for the Royals, who lost their seventh straight and dropped to a major league-worst 5-16.

After the Royals scored three in the sixth to tie it 4-all, Brian Anderson (1-2) started the seventh by walking Michael Cuddyer and giving up a single to Nick Punto.

Camp came on and his first pitch was wild, allowing Cuddyer to score from third. His second hit Shannon Stewart. Then Bartlett smacked Camp's third into shallow right field, where Terrence Long tried to make a shoestring catch but let the ball get past him for a two-run triple.

Jaime Cerda then relieved and gave up a sacrifice fly to Joe Mauer to make it 8-4. Punto, who had three hits, had an RBI single off Mike MacDougal in the eighth.

The Royals are 2-11 at home and 4-21 in their last 25 home games since last Sept. 11. It's their worst 21-game record since the 1992 club was 3-18 en route to a 72-90 season under Hal McRae.

Anderson went six innings and was charged with six runs on six hits, with three walks and six strikeouts.

Long walked with two outs in the Royals sixth and scored on John Buck's double to make it 4-2, then Ruben Gotay hit his second home run for a 4-4 tie.