MINNEAPOLIS - Alberto Callaspo has watched the Royals bullpen struggle to hold a lead throughout the first few weeks of the season. Thanks to his two big swings, Kansas City finally built an advantage too big to squander.
Callaspo had two home runs and a career-high six RBIs, and Kansas City roughed up Carl Pavano in a 10-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
Scott Podsednik added three hits and two RBIs for the Royals, who had 16 hits to improve their AL-leading team batting average to .309 and help a bullpen that entered the day with a majors-worst 8.10 ERA.
"The run production's been nice and it's also been needed because of the inconsistencies out of our bullpen," manager Trey Hillman said.
Josh Rupe struck out Jim Thome with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh to preserve a two-run lead, and reliever Jesse Crain served up Callaspo's second three-run homer of the game in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
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Callaspo struggled earlier in the season hitting in the No. 3 spot, so Hillman moved him down to sixth a few games ago, and it seems to have paid off.
He said through an interpreter that he feels more comfortable lower in the order and "is starting to find his swing and get in a groove."
Pavano (2-1) gave up seven runs on 11 hits in 3Zc innings.
"I was all over the place," Pavano said. "Falling behind, probably a little bit of execution of pitches, and they were slapping the ball over the field."
Joe Mauer had three hits and Jason Kubel had two RBIs for the Twins, who took two of three from the Royals in the series.
Luke Hochevar (2-0) gutted through six innings for the win, giving up three runs - two earned - on six hits with five walks and four strikeouts.
Podsednik, Billy Butler and Jose Guillen combined for nine hits and four RBIs. All three had RBI singles in the third and Callaspo capped the inning with a three-run homer to right that gave Kansas City a 6-2 lead.
"He's got a nice swing, a short swing, and today we didn't make any pitches on him and he killed us, put it in the seats a couple times," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "That's what happens when you get behind a guy and don't make pitches on him."
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Kansas City Minnesota
ab r h bi ab r h bi
DeJess rf 4 1 1 0 Span cf 5 1 2 0
Pdsdnk lf 5 1 3 2 Hudsn 2b 2 2 0 0
Maier lf 0 0 0 0 Mauer c 4 1 3 0
BButler 1b 5 1 3 1 Mornea 1b 3 1 0 1
JGuilln dh 5 1 3 1 Cuddyr rf 3 0 1 1
Blmqst pr-dh 0 1 0 0 Kubel dh 5 0 1 2
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Ankiel cf 4 1 0 0 DlmYn lf 5 0 0 1
Callasp 2b 5 2 3 6 Hardy ss 3 0 0 0
Kendall c 5 0 1 0 BHarrs 3b 3 0 1 0
Gordon 3b 4 1 1 0 Thome ph 1 0 0 0
YBtncr ss 4 1 1 0 Casilla 3b 0 0 0 0
Totals 41 10 16 10 Totals 34 5 8 5
Kansas City 006 100 003-10
Minnesota 201 000 200- 5
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E-Y.Betancourt (1), Gordon (1). DP-Kansas City 2. LOB-Kansas City 6, Minnesota 11. 2B-DeJesus (5), B.Butler 2 (3), Span (4). HR-Callaspo 2 (3). SB-Podsednik (7), J.Guillen (1), Bloomquist (2), Kendall (1). S-DeJesus. SF-Cuddyer.
IP H R ER BB SO
Kansas City
Hochevar W,2-0 6 6 3 2 5 4
D.Hughes Zc 0 2 1 2 0
Rupe H,1 1Zc 2 0 0 1 1
Soria S,3-4 1Zc 0 0 0 0 2
Minnesota
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Pavano L,2-1 3Zc 11 7 7 0 2
Al.Burnett 2Xc 2 0 0 0 4
Mahay 2 1 0 0 0 3
Crain 1 2 3 3 1 0
WP-Mahay.
T-3:10. A-38,544 (39,504).
