MINNEAPOLIS -- The Kansas City Royals scored seven runs in the second inning. Then they really started hitting the ball. Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez and Josh Willingham homered, and the Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 12-6 on Sunday for their 20th win in their last 25 games. Kansas City sent 11 batters to the plate in the big second, keyed by two-run singles for Alcides Escobar and Nori Aoki. The Royals then started hitting the ball out of the park after a 54-minute rain delay in the fourth. Gordon sent one drive into a flower bed in right-centre. Perez lined one into the left-field seats, and Willinghams homer travelled an estimated 433 feet into the third deck in left field. "Those tack on runs are huge," Royals manager Ned Yost said. The Royals also increased their AL Central lead to 1 1/2 games over Detroit, which lost 8-1 to Seattle. This is the latest the Royals have been in first place since 2003. Kansas Citys Jeremy Guthrie (9-10) returned to the mound after the delay in the fourth and lasted seven innings, yielding home runs by Joe Mauer and Kennys Vargas. Oswaldo Arcia also went deep for Minnesota, hitting a two-run drive off Jason Frasor in the eighth for his 11th homer. But Kansas Citys post-rain delay power surge helped it remain in control despite the Twins showing some power of their own. "You gotta fight for 27 outs," Perez said. "We continued to play hard. We needed to keep hitting it until the game was over." In his second start with Minnesota since coming over in a trade from Oakland, Tommy Milone (6-4) allowed seven runs in a career-low 1 1-3 innings. "Awful. The first inning was good, the second one was pretty awful," Milone said. "Couldnt get a good feel, try not to walk guys, left the ball over the plate. It was pretty tough." The first pitch was delayed 34 minutes in anticipation of a rain shower that never happened. The rain did arrive as the second inning started and got worse until umpires called the players off the field with one out in the bottom of the fourth. After managing just one run in Saturday nights 4-1 loss, the Royals scored 10 or more for just the third time since June 17. "With the weather and everything, we were pretty good," Perez said. "We fought through it." GUTHRIE COMES BACK OUT Guthrie helped save a tired Royals bullpen by staying in the game after the rain delay. "Just to be able to manoeuvr through that made it a good day for us," Yost said. NO EXCUSES Twins manager Ron Gardenhire wasnt going to blame the weather for Milones bad second inning. "They played through the same thing," Gardenhire said. "They got it done, we didnt." NO-RAIN RAIN DELAY It wasnt the first time this season the Twins have had a game delayed by rain that never arrived. The first pitch for Minnesotas 5-4 loss to Houston at Target Field on June 6 was pushed back 81 minutes even though not a drop fell from the sky. TRAINERS ROOM ROYALS: Setup man Wade Davis and closer Greg Holland were available on Sunday, a day after manager Ned Yost gave each reliever a day off. UP NEXT ROYALS: Coming off his sixth career shutout vs. Oakland, Jason Vargas (9-5) starts the finale of the four-game series on Monday. Vargas has a 0.86 ERA in three starts against Minnesota this year and hasnt allowed a run in the last two. TWINS: Trevor May (0-1) will try and bounce back after walking seven batters over two innings during his first major league start on Aug. 9. "Hes been like a raging bull out there," Gardenhire said. "We gotta calm him down right now." Nike Air Max Schweiz .C. -- Colin Kaepernick raced into the end zone, then pretended to rip open his shirt with both hands imitating Cam Newtons Superman touchdown celebration. Nike Air Max 95 Schweiz . Anderson shook off some unusually poor shooting and hit two clutch 3-pointers in overtime that carried the New Orleans Pelicans to a 111-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. https://www.schuheshopschweiz.ch/gunstig...-shop-d246.html. - The RBC Canadian Open will return to Glen Abbey Golf Club next year, marking the 27th time that the national open championship will be played at the Oakville, Ont. Nike Air Max 90 Kaufen . -- The defending Canadian womens curling champions squandered an opportunity to take sole possession of first place in the standings Tuesday at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Air Max 97 Kaufen Schweiz . Fans can also watch the game on the newly launched TSN GO (currently available to Bell TV and Rogers customers), which gives TSN subscribers the freedom to live stream the networks programming from their smartphones, tablets, and computers at no additional charge – just as they would watch Canadas Sports Leader on TV at home. The following week, MLS ON TSN is at BMO Field in Toronto to deliver live coverage of TFCs home opener vs. D.C. United on Saturday, March 22 at 4:30 p.MINNEAPOLIS – When R.A. Dickey takes the mound on Thursday afternoon at Target Field, the forecast temperature of one Celsius will test a man who throws a unique pitch, the knuckleball, which is better suited to climate-controlled, humid conditions. Dickey insists hell be ready. “It would be the same challenge that I would have if I was pitching conventionally and just trying to get my body warm and going,” said Dickey. “As far as the conditions, cold isnt necessarily an enemy to the pitch. If Im throwing a good one it shouldnt matter.” The Blue Jays are armed with an eight-man bullpen, which include long options J.A. Happ, Todd Redmond and Esmil Rogers. Thanks to an off-day Monday and Wednesdays postponement, its all hands on deck should Dickey struggle. “Well know early on, I can guarantee you that,” said manager John Gibbons of whether Dickeys on his game. “Were fine down in the ‘pen so if we have to yank him, if hes not effective at all, weve got plenty of guys down there.” Dickey has gone bad start, good start, bad start over his first three outings. Hes gotten the decision in each, posting a 1-2 record and a 5.30 ERA in the early going. His walk total, which plummeted in the second half of last season compared to the first, has crept back up to 4.8 per nine innings pitched. Hell do his best to keep his body warm, specifically his fingertips because theyre crucial to the knuckleballs grip, as the game goes on. “Whatever thats going to be,” said Dickey. “Ride the bike a little bit in-between innings, come in (the clubhouse,) heating pack, whatever. We have plenty of stuff to keep us warm in-between innings. Well see.” The Blue Jays need a split of the doubleheader to secure a third-consecutive series victory. They took two of three from the Astros last week and two of three from the Orioles in Baltimore over the weekend. LINDS BACK TROUBLE IS BACK Adam Lind wouldnt, or couldnt, predict whether the lower back stiffness he suffered on Tuesday night will land him on the disabled list. “Were just going to try to do wwhat we can to get me on the field as soon as we can,” said Lind.dddddddddddd. “We cant let it drag on,” said Gibbons. “Hopefully we can get through a couple of days without him. Were playing pretty good right now. We need him. Hes been a big contributor but its day to day.” Linds back seized in the fourth inning of Tuesday nights win as he was running to second base following a walk. He stayed in the game, singling and scoring in the sixth, before being lifted for pinch-hitter Josh Thole in the seventh. He was limping in the clubhouse after the game. It was a struggle to put on his shoes. Since then, Lind has made progress. “A lot,” he said. “Im functionable so hopefully have a good day of treatment all day today, just continue to try to get healthy and hopefully by the weekend Ill be ready to play.” The worst time of day is when Lind wakes up. His back spasms; he begins to move around and it loosens up somewhat. “Thats probably something thats going to linger with him for the rest of his career, I would think,” said Gibbons. “Those backs can be … so there can be times you need to give him a break if he flares up so you can calm it down. Hopefully it doesnt get any worse.” JANSSEN SUFFERS SETBACK Casey Janssen wont throw for the next two or three days with his minor league rehabilitation assignment halted as he tries to work his way back from an abdominal strain. “Its just not right,” said Gibbons. “Its not like its a lot worse but he doesnt feel quite comfortable enough yet to start cutting it loose.” Janssen pitched a scoreless inning for Single-A Dunedin on Tuesday night, allowing a hit and striking out a batter. GOSE RECALLED The Blue Jays recalled Anthony Gose for the second game of the doubleheader, when both clubs are allowed to carry a 26th player on the active roster. NIGHTCAP PITCHING MATC-HUP The Blue Jays will send right-hander Dustin McGowan (1-1, 4.00) to the mound tonight against Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey (0-2, 7.84). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 EDT. ' ' '