MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Phil Hughes threw seven sharp innings, Kurt Suzuki hit his third homer of the season and the Minnesota Twins beat first-place Kansas City 4-1 on Saturday night to snap the Royals’ three-game winning streak.

Hughes (13-8) allowed one run, seven hits and struck out six to outlast hard-throwing rookie Yordano Ventura (9-9), who threw six innings of one-hit ball before the Twins broke through in the seventh.

With runners on second and third, Ventura threw a 99-mph fastball that shattered Danny Santana’s bat — but Santana reached base when Billy Butler tried to throw out Suzuki at home. Catcher Salvador Perez’s tag was late, allowing the Twins to tie it.

Brian Dozier followed with his 25th double of the season to score pinch-runner Eduardo Escobar and put the Twins ahead for good.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Josh Willingham returned to Target Field and hit a bases-clearing double in Kansas City’s five-run fourth inning, and the surging Royals hung on to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Friday night.

Danny Dufy (8-10) allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings to win his third straight start. Kansas City has won 11 of 12 and sits atop the AL Central.

Oswaldo Arcia hit an RBI double in the ninth and pinch-hitter Chris Parmelee drove him in with a groundout to cut the Royals’ lead to 6-5. But Greg Holland struck out Danny Santana for his 37th save in 39 chances.

After Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the third, the first six Royals hitters reached base to start the fourth off Ricky Nolasco (5-8).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nori Aoki and Billy Butler each drove in two runs in a five-run seventh and the surging Kansas City Royals rallied to defeat the Oakland Athletics 7-3 Thursday.

The Royals have won 18 of 22 to move 12 games above .500 for the first time since July 20, 2003.

The Royals took the season series, winning five of seven against the Athletics, who have the best record in the majors.

Aoki’s two-run triple put the Royals ahead 5-3. Butler’s single scored Aoki and Alcides Escobar. Jarrod Dyson fouled off four consecutive pitches before hitting an RBI single to right for the first run of the inning.

Right-hander Jeff Samardzija (3-2) took the loss, giving up four runs, three earned, and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings.

He left with a 3-2 lead, but Ryan Cook failed to hold it, facing three batters and all scored. Cook’s streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings ended.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Vargas tossed a three-hitter for his sixth career shutout, Omar Infante hit a two-run homer and the Kansas City Royals beat the Oakland Athletics 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Vargas (9-5) retired the final 23 batters he faced in only his third start since an emergency appendectomy. The left-hander also helped Kansas City bounce back from having an eight-game winning streak snapped and maintain a half-game lead over Detroit in the AL Central.

Salvador Perez drove in the Royals’ other run off Scott Kazmir (13-5), who lost to Kansas City for the second time in 10 days. He has won just once in 10 starts at Kauffman Stadium.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jon Lester pitched six strong innings and Josh Donaldson homered twice and drove in four runs as the Oakland Athletics beat Kansas City 11-3 Tuesday night, snapping the Royals’ eight-game winning streak.

Lester (13-7) has won all three of his starts since the A’s acquired him in a July 31 trade for All-Star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. Lester struck out nine and allowed three runs on six hits and two walks.

The Royals have won 11 of 13 with both losses to Lester, who is 9-3 with a 1.84 ERA in 13 career starts against Kansas City.

Donaldson homered in the seventh and eighth off left-hander Bruce Chen for his third multi-homer game of the season.

Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie (8-10) allowed six runs on 11 hits in 4 2-3 innings.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — When the Royals rolled out of bed Tuesday morning and glanced at the standings, they saw something that hadn’t been the case since many of them were in junior high school.

Kansas City was sitting atop the AL Central and the playoffs were closer than opening day.

After they won their eighth straight game Monday night, against AL West-leading Oakland no less, the Royals assumed control of their division at the latest point in a season since 2003.

Perennial powerhouse Detroit had been relegated to second place, at least for a day, and an entire city that has been starved for winning was able to relish the moment.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals won their eighth straight game and took over the AL Central lead Monday night when Yordano Ventura outdueled Sonny Gray during a 3-2 win over Oakland Athletics.

The victory, coupled with a loss by Detroit in Pittsburgh, gave the long-suffering Royals a division lead at the latest point in a season since 2003.

Alcides Escobar drove in a run in the second inning before delivering a two-out single off Gray (12-6) in the seventh, putting Kansas City in front and sending the crowd to its feet.

Kelvin Herrera (3-2) took over for Ventura and tossed spotless seventh inning, and Wade Davis breezed through the eighth. Greg Holland worked the ninth for his 35th save.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez each homered and Danny Duffy pitched into the seventh inning as the Kansas City Royals beat the San Francisco Giants 7-4 Sunday to extend their winning streak to seven games.

The Royals, who won 10 in a row in June, have put together two winning streaks of seven or more games this season for the first time since 1985, the last time they were in the playoffs.

Gordon hit a two-run shot off Tim Lincecum (9-8) in a four-run first. The inning also included Billy Butler’s run-producing double and Perez scoring on a wild pitch.

Perez homered off Juan Gutierrez with Nori Aoki aboard in a three-run third. Aoki reached base four times — two walks and two singles — and stole three bases.

Jarrod Dyson went 3 for 3 and also swiped three bases. The Royals’ seven steals was one shy of the club record set on August 1, 1998.