Nobody is reaching for the panic button. After all, the Kansas City Royals still have an 11-game lead in the AL Central. There is, however, concern.
Tommy Milone pitched seven effective innings and Eduardo Escobar reached base four times and drove in three runs as the Minnesota Twins beat the struggling Royals 6-2 on Monday night.
The Royals have been outscored 31-9 in dropping four straight, matching their longest losing streak of the season. They have lost six of eight and have only one victory from a starting pitcher since Aug. 29.
"We haven't played up to our standard," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "I think our starting pitching hasn't been exceptionally sharp through this run, and offensively, we've faced some tough pitching.
"Milone tonight did a great job. He was consistently strike one on everybody, he was commanding the low outside part of the plate and the up and inside part of the plate for strikes, really good changeups, and mixed in good curveballs."
Milone (8-4) held the Royals to six hits and two runs, while striking out four and walking one. He is 2-0, allowing two runs and nine hits in two September starts.
The Twins are 1 1/2 games behind Texas for the AL's second wild card.
Escobar contributed an RBI-single in a three-run sixth and drove in two runs with a two-out single in the seventh off Joba Chamberlain, who was making his Royals' debut.
Yordano Ventura (10-8), who was 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA in his five previous starts, yielded four runs, eight hits, five walks and two wild pitches in 5 1-3 innings, striking out eight.
"I wasn't getting ahead of hitters, and this is the big leagues; if you don't get ahead of hitters, you're going to struggle," Ventura said with coach Pedro Grifol acting as his interpreter.
Ventura lost for the first time since July 20.
"I thought he threw the ball good," Yost said. "The first five innings, command was off just a tick with the five walks, but great stuff, had a good breaking ball, made some great changeups in crucial situations. Went back out in the sixth and got 0-and-2 on the first hitter, elevated a fastball, and I think they ended up getting three hits on elevated pitches. Then he tried to make adjustments and spiked the curveball."
Aaron Hicks hit Ventura's third pitch for his second career leadoff homer.
The Twins broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth when Torii Hunter, Kurt Suzuki and Escobar opened with singles and all scored.
Suzuki scored on the first of two wild pitches by Ventura in the inning. Joe Mauer's sacrifice fly brought home Escobar.
Kendrys Morales' ground out in the first scored Lorenzo Cain and hiked his RBI total to 100, becoming the 28th player in Royals' history to reach that figure.
"I'm real happy to reach this milestone and I appreciate my teammates that hit in front of me and score for me," Morales said through an interpreter.
Morales is not worried about the Royals' September swoon.
"I'm not concerned at all," Morales said of the Royals' September swoon. "We've lost four, but it happens to every club at some point during the year. We might be losing this battle here, but we're not losing the war."
Salvador Perez's sacrifice fly scored Morales in the seventh for the other run off Milone. Mike Moustakas was out at home to end the inning, attempting to score on Paulo Orlando's double.
NUMBERS & STATS
Royals CF Lorenzo Cain's two hits brought his career total to 500 and raised his average to .314. . Orlando's double extended his hitting streak to a career-high seven games.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: LHP Glenn Perkins (back spasms) was not with the club. ... RHP Phil Hughes (lower back inflammation) will throw his second simulated game Wednesday.
Royals: RF Alex Rios and RHP Herrera were in uniform after being out nine days with the chicken pox. Herrera relieved Ventura in the sixth.
STRIKEOUTS CONTINUE
Twins rookie DH Miguel Sano struck out twice in three at-bats and has struck out in 11 of his past 13 at-bats. He did draw two walks.
UP NEXT
Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson, who went to the University of Missouri, starts the middle game of this series.
Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez lasted just three innings, matching the shortest outing of his career, in his previous start, allowing six runs and eight hits to the Tigers.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.