MINNEAPOLIS -- Make it eight straight series victories for the red-hot Royals.Left-hander Jason Vargas pitched Kansas City to a 6-4 victory over the Twins on Monday night at Target Field to take the series, three games to one. Erik Kratz, subbing for injured Salvador Perez, belted two solo home runs in two at-bats.The last time the Royals won eight consecutive series was in 1991. 
They also climbed 14 games over the .500 mark at 69-55 for the first time since Aug. 9, 1994, when they were 64-50. Alas, the '94 work stoppage ended the season a day later.The victory was the Royals' 21st in their last 26 games, a stretch that coincides with the string of series wins.The biggest excitement in the first four innings was Twins manager Ron Gardenhire getting ejected by plate umpire Chris Segal.That came in the first inning when Gardenhire and batter Joe Mauer contended that the Twins' star had foul-tipped a pitch, not struck out. Gardenhire's 72nd career ouster came after he'd returned to the dugout.Twins rookie Trevor May, making his second start and third appearance since being called up, worked his way past four hits in the first four innings.But he ran out of luck in the fifth, creating his own problem by walking the bases full. Perez came up with two out and, on the first pitch, lined a single into center field for two runs.Billy Butler followed with an RBI single and, when Alex Gordon's hit again loaded the bases, May was taken out in favor of another right-hander, Anthony Swarzak. He struck out ex-Twin Josh Willingham to keep it at a three-run inning.When Perez left the game because of right knee discomfort in the seventh inning, Kratz batted for him and hit a home run to left field. It was Kratz's first since being obtained by the Royals from Toronto.Kratz also homered in the ninth, sending a drive against right-hander Ryan Pressly over the center-field wall. That gave Kratz five homers this season.The Twins' Oswaldo Arcia hit a solo homer of his own, a 420-foot shot to right field that came on Vargas' 2-2 pitch in the seventh. It was Arcia's 12th this season.The Royals added a run off Swarzak in the eighth on Willingham's single and, after two outs, Jarrod Dyson's single.Wade Davis pitched a perfect eighth for the Royals, giving him a streak of 20 2/3 scoreless innings.Trying to give closer Greg Holland a third straight game off, Aaron Crow was brought for the ninth with a 6-1 lead but, after an out, he gave up two singles and a three-run homer to Trevor Plouffe.With the lead cut to two, Holland was summoned and got the last two outs for his 38th save.Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
They also climbed 14 games over the .500 mark at 69-55 for the first time since Aug. 9, 1994, when they were 64-50. Alas, the '94 work stoppage ended the season a day later.The victory was the Royals' 21st in their last 26 games, a stretch that coincides with the string of series wins.The biggest excitement in the first four innings was Twins manager Ron Gardenhire getting ejected by plate umpire Chris Segal.That came in the first inning when Gardenhire and batter Joe Mauer contended that the Twins' star had foul-tipped a pitch, not struck out. Gardenhire's 72nd career ouster came after he'd returned to the dugout.Twins rookie Trevor May, making his second start and third appearance since being called up, worked his way past four hits in the first four innings.But he ran out of luck in the fifth, creating his own problem by walking the bases full. Perez came up with two out and, on the first pitch, lined a single into center field for two runs.Billy Butler followed with an RBI single and, when Alex Gordon's hit again loaded the bases, May was taken out in favor of another right-hander, Anthony Swarzak. He struck out ex-Twin Josh Willingham to keep it at a three-run inning.When Perez left the game because of right knee discomfort in the seventh inning, Kratz batted for him and hit a home run to left field. It was Kratz's first since being obtained by the Royals from Toronto.Kratz also homered in the ninth, sending a drive against right-hander Ryan Pressly over the center-field wall. That gave Kratz five homers this season.The Twins' Oswaldo Arcia hit a solo homer of his own, a 420-foot shot to right field that came on Vargas' 2-2 pitch in the seventh. It was Arcia's 12th this season.The Royals added a run off Swarzak in the eighth on Willingham's single and, after two outs, Jarrod Dyson's single.Wade Davis pitched a perfect eighth for the Royals, giving him a streak of 20 2/3 scoreless innings.Trying to give closer Greg Holland a third straight game off, Aaron Crow was brought for the ninth with a 6-1 lead but, after an out, he gave up two singles and a three-run homer to Trevor Plouffe.With the lead cut to two, Holland was summoned and got the last two outs for his 38th save.Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
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