KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lorenzo Cain and Salvador Perez hit two-run homers, Yordano Ventura went five innings in his return from the disabled list, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 on Thursday to finish off a four-game sweep.

Ventura (4-6) allowed three runs and four hits and three walks, striking out four. It was his first start since June 12, when an elbow condition began causing numbness in his hand.

Eric Hosmer, Cheslor Cuthbert and Kendrys Morales also drove in runs off Nathan Karns (4-5), the latest Rays starter to get pummeled by Kansas City. The Royals scored at least seven runs in every game of their first four-game sweep since September 2008, against Seattle.

Meanwhile, the Rays were swept in a four-game set for the second time in two weeks, after Cleveland did it June 29-July 2. Tampa Bay has lost 11 of 12 overall.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson hit two-run homers, Alcides Escobar had four hits and the Kansas City Royals pounded Rays All-Star Chris Archer before holding off Tampa Bay 9-7 on Wednesday night.

The Royals lost All-Star outfielder Alex Gordon to a strained groin in the fourth inning. He was hurt on Logan Forsythe’s inside-the-park homer.

Dyson countered with an inside-the-park homer two innings later. It was the first time there were two in one game since the Cubs’ Sammy Sosa and Pirates’ Tony Womack did it on May 26, 1997.

Tampa Bay, swept in a doubleheader Tuesday, fell for the 10th time in 11 games.

Jeremy Guthrie (7-5) got the win. Joe Blanton gave up three runs in the ninth before Greg Holland got the final two outs, stranding runners on second and third, to earn his 17th save.

Archer (9-6) allowed a career-high nine runs on 11 hits over six innings.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals, bitter cross-state rivals, have forged an unlikely alliance to get their final vote candidates into the All-Star Game.

Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas and Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez are among the five candidates in their respective league. Fan voting will determine who makes the roster.

The regional sports networks for each team are promoting the alliance, and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said Wednesday that fans should vote “so there is as much Royals blue and Cardinals red on the field next week in Cincinnati as possible.”

The Royals already have six players on the American League roster, including four starters. The Cardinals have five on the National League roster, two of them starters.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alcides Escobar hit a bases-loaded double, Alex Gordon matched a career high with four RBIs and the Kansas City Royals cruised to a 7-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday and a sweep of their day-night doubleheader.

Escobar fell behind 0-2 against Brandon Gomes (1-4) in the sixth inning before battling back to a full count. On the 11th pitch of the at-bat, Escobar yanked a fair ball just down the third-base line, emptying the bases and breaking a 1-all deadlock.

Brandon Finnegan (2-0), Luke Hochevar and Ryan Madson made the lead stand in relief of Royals starter Edinson Volquez, who allowed only John Jaso’s homer in five innings.

The victory in Game 2 came after Paulo Orlando hit a ninth-inning grand slam to give Kansas City a 9-5 win in the opener.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Paulo Orlando hit his first career grand slam in the ninth inning off All-Star closer Brad Boxberger to give the Kansas City Royals a 9-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday.

Boxberger (4-5), added to the AL roster by Royals manager Ned Yost on Monday, gave up one-out singles to Eric Hosmer and Alex Rios before walking Omar Infante to load the bases.

Orlando followed by hitting his second career home run into the bullpen in left field.

The Rays had just tied the game off Royals closer Greg Holland (3-0), who allowed a leadoff triple to Kevin Kiermaier in the ninth.

NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie sluggers Kris Bryant and Joc Pederson have been picked for the All-Star Game, while Alex Rodriguez has been left out.

Major League Baseball announced the reserves and pitchers for the American League and National League on Monday. The game is July 14 in Cincinnati.

Angels slugger Albert Pujols will start for injured Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen will start in place of Miami’s injured Giancarlo Stanton.

Bryant made the NL team at third base with the Chicago Cubs. Pederson plays center field for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Fans can vote through Friday for the final player on each roster. The five AL candidates are Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Detroit outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, Minnesota second baseman Brian Dozier, Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner and Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas.

The five NL candidates are Cincinnati pitcher Johnny Cueto, Mets closer Jeurys Familia, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, St. Louis starter Carlos Martinez and Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

The Kansas City Royals added to their franchise record with six all-stars. Relief pitchers Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera will join Alex Gordon, Alcides Escober, Lorenzo Cain and Salvador Perez on the AL All-Star roster. Mike Moustakas will try to become the seventh Royal in the game in the final vote by the fans on Friday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Royals scheduled for Monday night has been postponed with tornado warnings in the Kansas City area.

The game was called off about an hour before it was set to begin as heavy rain fell.

The Royals and Rays will play a day-night doubleheader Tuesday, with games at 1:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) — Houston second baseman Jose Altuve passed Kansas City’s Omar Infante in the final days of voting, leaving four Royals as starters for the All-Star Game.

Todd Frazier of the host Cincinnati Reds leapfrogged St. Louis’ Matt Carpenter and will be in the NL starting lineup for the July 14 game at Great American Ball Park.

The voting results were announced Sunday.

AL champion Kansas City will be represented in the starting lineup by outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon, catcher Salvador Perez and shortstop Alcides Escobar. Four players ties the AL record for fan-elected starters, achieved nine times previously.

Eight Royals were on track to start in vote totals announced June 15, but first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas and designated hitter Kendrys Morales also were overtaken.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eric Hosmer drove in Lorenzo Cain with nobody out in the ninth inning, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 on Sunday for a split of their four-game series.

Cain drew a leadoff walk against Twins reliever Blaine Boyer (2-4) to start the ninth after Ervin Santana had nearly shut Kansas City down in his return from a drug suspension.

Twins manager Paul Molitor called upon Aaron Thompson to face Hosmer, who ripped a pitch down the right-field line. Cain sprinted around third base at full speed, and a throw from Torii Hunter in right field was nowhere close to getting him at the plate.

Greg Holland (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Joe Mauer hit a two-run homer in his first four-hit game in nearly two years, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 Saturday night.

Mauer, who is 13 for 28 against Royals starter Joe Blanton (2-2), homered with Brian Dozier aboard in a three-run first. Aaron Hicks’ grounder scored Trevor Plouffe, who missed the cycle by a home run, with the other run.

Plouffe’s tripled scored Mauer in the fifth to extend the lead to 4-0.

Glen Perkins pitched a flawless ninth for his major league-leading 27th save.

Twins starter Mike Pelfrey was chased after the Royals’ first four hitters in the fifth reached base, the last on Lorenzo Cain’s two-run single. Kendrys Morales drove in another run on a grounder to pull Kansas City to 4-3.

Brian Duensing (3-0), the second of seven Twins pitchers, was credited with the victory.