Cordova, Twins Slam Royals

Snapping a seven-game losing streak which had stretched back to last July brought no joy to LaTroy Hawkins.

"It seems so easy. But it's hard," the Minnesota right-hander said after beating Kansas City 6-4 Monday night for his first victory since July 27. "My mechanics are bad."

Twins manager Tom Kelly was hardly flattering.

"I think he can do better," Kelly said. "He did OK. He needs to be a little more consistent. I expect more from him."

Marty Cordova's three-run homer off reliever Don Wengert capped a five-run seventh inning for the Twins and sent the Royals to third straight loss and dropped their home record to 1-6. Last year, despite being five games over .500 on the road, the Royals were only 29-51 at Kauffman Stadium.

"I made a bad pitch and failed to do my job," said Wengert, who relieved starter Jeff Suppan (0-3) with one out in the seventh. "It's very disappointing. Jeff deserved better."

Hawkins (1-2) went six innings and gave up five hits and three runs and Rick Aguilera worked the ninth for his third save.

Suppan, looking for his first win in 11 months, took a 3-1 lead into the seventh. But he walked Chad Allen to start the inning and Terry Steinbach was safe on third baseman Joe Randa's error.

"He walked the leadoff batter and that's death in itself in a two-run game," said Royals manager Tony Muser.

One out later, pinch-hitter Corey Koskie had an RBI single, then Matt Lawton greeted Wengert with an RBI single for his third hit of the game.

Cordova, who hadn't homered since last Aug. 25, hit Wengert's next pitch over the fence in left field for a 6-3 lead.

"They hit line drives right at people and I get two seeing-eye base hits," Lawton said. "You go through those times."

Chad Kreuter drove in two runs for the Royals, including an RBdouble in the second.

In the fourth, Mike Sweeney stretched his hitting streak to a career-best 10 games with a single and eventually scored on Kreuter's sacrifice fly. The Royals added an unearned run when second baseman Todd Walker let a grounder by Carlos Febles bounce under his glove for an error.

In the seventh, Carlos Beltran drove in a run with an infield single for the Royals.

After Doug Mientkiewicz hit an RBI single to tie it at 1 in the fourth, Suppan escaped further damage by getting Steinbach to ground into the Royals' league-leading 21st double play.

Notes: First baseman Jeff King, who was hit by pitches on Saturday and Sunday, was out of the Kansas City lineup with a sore back. His backup, Larry Sutton was scratched at the last minute with soreness in the elbow and replaced by Scott Leius. ... In keeping with Kansas City's weird home-and-away record last year, they were 5-1 at the Metrodome but 2-4 against the Twins in Kauffman Stadium. Overall, the Royals are 3-2 on the road this year. ... After his error led to Kansas City's unearned run in the fourth, Walker made an outstanding play on Sweeney's grounder, going to his right to make the pickup and then nipping the runner by a step. ... Twins reliever Mike Trombley pitched the eighth. He has not allowed a run in 10 2-3 innings this year.

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