Twins sweep Royals in a doubleheader

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Joe Mauer hit a grand slam and Chris Parmelee added a three-run shot and the Minnesota Twins outlasted the Kansas City Royals 8-7 to complete a sweep of a doubleheader Saturday.

Justin Morneau drove in two runs and Minnesota rookie Cole De Vries beat the Royals 3-1 in the first game.

Mauer's grand slam in the second inning of the nightcap was the third of his career and the first by the Twins this year. Mauer's ninth home run came after Pedro Florimon's double was sandwiched around walks to Drew Butera and Ben Revere.

Parmelee homered in the first with Alexi Casilla and Josh Willingham aboard.

Luke Hochevar (7-13) lasted just 1 2-3 innings, the shortest outing of his career. Hochevar faced 14 batters, 10 reached (six hits and four walks) and eight scored before he was replaced by Everett Teaford, who threw 5 1-3 scoreless innings.

The Twins led 8-2 after two innings, but Twins right-hander Liam Hendriks, who is 0-9 in 15 career starts, was unable to pick up the victory.

Hendriks was pulled after 3 2-3 innings, allowing two unearned runs in the fourth after a fielding error by third baseman Trevor Plouffe.

After Plouffe's miscue that could have ended the inning, Hendriks allowed RBI singles to Alex Gordon and Billy Butler, trimming the lead to 8-5.

Anthony Swarzak replaced Hendricks, who allowed five runs, three earned, and 10 hits. Swarzak (3-4) was credited with the victory, allowing two runs and one hit in 2 2-3 innings.

Eric Hosmer's two-run, two-out single off Casey Fien, the fourth Minnesota pitcher, made it 8-7 in the seventh inning.

Salvador Perez went 4 for 5, matching his career high in hits, and drove in a Kansas City run with a first-inning single.

Glen Perkins saved both games and is 10 for 13 for the season.

De Vries (4-5) has four career victories and three of them are against the Royals.

"Oh, I can't say that I know that," De Vries said of being 3-0 in as many starts against the Royals. "That makes me happy. That's pretty good."

So he owns them?

"I guess," he said and laughed. "Something is working. I feel like half of my starts have been against the Royals or the White Sox. I feel I know both those teams decently well. I feel comfortable pitching against both of them just because I've pitched against them so much."

He limited the Royals to one run and seven hits, walked none and struck out three in 6 2/3 innings.

"My two-seamer for whatever reason it just had a lot of movement, had pretty good control with it and I was getting a lot of awkward swings," De Vries said. "That and my curveball were definitely my two best today."

De Vries has won back-to-back starts, holding Texas and Kansas City to 10 hits and two earned runs in 11 2-3 innings.

Morneau, who has 77 career RBIs against the Royals, doubled home Willingham in the first inning with the first Twins' run in the opener.

Morneau's sacrifice fly to center scored Florimon, who led off the fifth inning with a bunt single. Ryan Doumit's two-out single to right brought home Darin Mastroianni with the other run.

Royals rookie Will Smith (4-7) lost his third consecutive start, giving up three runs and nine hits and two walks, while striking out four in six-plus innings.

The Twins loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but reliever Vin Mazzaro got out of the jam when Ryan Doumit grounded into a double play after Morneau was intentionally walked. Mazzaro had not pitched since Aug. 21 in the minors.

The Royals chased De Vries in the seventh with three hits. Johnny Giavotella's two-out single scored Mike Moustakas.

Royals right fielder Jeff Francoeur got his major league-leading 16th assist in the fifth when he threw out Willingham trying to go from first to third.

Notes: Manager Ron Gardenhire said the Twins "might go" to a six-man rotation with the additions Saturday of RHPs P.J. Walters, who was reinstated from the disabled list, and Esmerling Vasquez, who was promoted from Triple-A Rochester and is scheduled to start Sunday against the Royals. Vasquez was a reliever from 2009-11 with Arizona, but the Twins plan to look at him as a starter. Walters started before shoulder inflammation shut him down for 70 games. ... There were 6.54 inches of rain at Kauffman Stadium in a 29-hour period before the first pitch Saturday, which was delayed 21 minutes. ... The Royals recalled OF David Lough, who hit .275 with Triple-A Omaha, and C Manny Pina, who hit .260 in 43 games with Triple-A Northwest Arkansas after having right knee surgery in spring training. ... The Royals dropped to 7-23 against the Twins, Seattle and Toronto, the three last-place teams in their AL divisions.