Twins 8, Royals 4

MINNEAPOLIS – Henry Blanco had a two-run double and an RBI single and Lew Ford added two RBIs to lead Minnesota over the Kansas City Royals 8-4.

Carlos Beltran homered for the fourth straight game and Mike Sweeney hit a three-run shot for Kansas City, which has lost five in a row despite setting a club record with 16 homers during that span.

Blanco, playing for injured rookie Joe Mauer, has 10 RBIs in 10 games after driving in just 13 runs in 55 games for Atlanta last season. Ford, subbing for injured star Torii Hunter, has five RBIs in the last two games.

Kyle Lohse (1-2) allowed six hits and four runs in six innings. He struck out five and walked four.

Kevin Appier (0-1) was activated off the disabled list to pitch for the first time since Aug. 26, and he struggled. The right-hander, who had surgery in the offseason to repair a flexor tendon tear in his right elbow, lasted just three inning.

He allowed six hits and seven runs- five earned. He walked three, struck out two and had two wild pitches.

Beltran’s fifth homer in four games, and sixth of the year, was a solo shot in the first off Lohse.

The Twins came back with three runs in the second. With one out, Jose Offerman and Jacque Jones hit consecutive singles to put runners at first and third. Ford drove in Offerman with a single, and Blanco followed with a two-run double off Appier.

But, Kansas City rallied right back on Sweeney’s three-run shot in the top of the third. Tony Graffanino started it with a single. One out later Lohse intentionally walked Beltran to get to Sweeney, who hit his fourth homer to make it 4-3.

Minnesota took the lead with four runs in the bottom half, capitalizing on Appier’s wildness and an error by rookie shortstop Andres Blanco.

Nick Punto led off with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Doug Mientkiewicz’s RBI single. Corey Koskie and Ford each walked, around two outs, to load the bases before Henry Blanco drove in a run with a single.

Cristian Guzman followed with a routine grounder to Andres Blanco, who threw wide of first base allowing two more runs to score to make it 7-4.

In the fifth, Jones led off with an infield single off reliever Dennys Reyes and stole second and third before scoring on Ford’s sacrifice fly.

Kansas City loaded the bases off reliever Terry Mulholland with one out in the eighth, but J.C. Romero came in to retire pinch-hitters Mendy Lopez and Ken Harvey.

Romero then got the final three outs for his 2nd career save and first since Sept. 29, 2002.

Notes: Mientkiewicz started after missing one game with an ankle sprain. … RHP Grant Balfour, placed on the 15-day DL on April 4 with a tender right shoulder, had an MRI on Friday that came back negative. … Mulholland, acquired from Seattle on April 14, made his first appearance for Minnesota. … 2003 AL Rookie of the Year Angel Berroa went on the 15-day DL with migraine headaches and Kansas City purchased the contract of shortstop Andres Blanco from Double-A Wichita to take his place in the starting lineup. The 20-year from Carabobo, Venezuela, is the youngest Royal-at 20 years, 6 days-to make his major league debut since Bret Saberhagen played just shy of his 20th birthday on April 4, 1984. Blanco was born seven days later, April 11, 1984. … Royals’ starters in the first 11 games are 0-4 with a 7.79 ERA. Seven times they have given up at least five earned runs.

AP-ES-04-17-04 2211EDT