SEATTLE (AP) — Ian Kennedy allowed one run pitching into the seventh inning, Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon both hit solo home runs, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Seattle Mariners 3-1 on Monday night.

Kennedy (3-6) won his third straight decision with one of his best performances of the season. The lone run scored on a wild pitch as Kansas City handed Seattle its fifth straight loss at home.

Moustakas led off the second inning with his 23rd home run of the season and gave the Royals a 2-0 lead against Seattle starter Andrew Moore. Gordon’s home run came with two outs in the fifth, a pitch he broke his bat on but was still able to get it over the wall in right just beyond the leap of Mitch Haniger. It was Gordon’s fifth homer and second in the past three games.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Alcides Escobar had two hits and two RBIs and Scott Alexander picked up his first major league victory as the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 6-2 on Sunday.

The Royals have won 15 of 21 games to move a game above .500 and into a tie with the Twins for second place in the American League Central.

Escobar went 7-for-16 with four extra-base hits, including a home run, with seven RBIs and scored four runs in the four-game series. He has raised his average 50 points since June 13 from .180 to .230, going 27-for-71, .380, in that 19-game span.

Travis Wood, who was making his first start since Sept. 19, 2015 while with the Chicago Cubs and 108 relief appearances, was pulled after 81 pitches and four-plus innings. Wood was removed in the fifth after facing three batters and retiring none. Brian Dozier and Robbie Grossman had RBI-singles in the inning.

Alexander (1-2) replaced Wood and induced Eduardo Escobar to ground into an inning ending double play with the bases loaded.

NEW YORK (AP) – Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and Nolan Arenado were among 12 first-time starters elected Sunday for the All-Star Game at Miami on July 11, the most since voting was returned to fans in 1970.

Just one player was picked from the World Series champion Cubs: reliever Wade Davis, who wasn’t even with Chicago when it ended a 108-year title drought last fall. The Cubs had seven All-Stars last season.

Two of the first-time starters are from the Houston Astros, who have the best record in the major leagues: shortstop Correa and outfielder George Springer. Second baseman Jose Altuve was elected to his third start.

Houston pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. were picked, as well, giving the Astros five All-Stars, tied for the most with the New York Yankees, Cleveland and Washington. Keuchel is hurt and won’t pitch.

Kansas City had two selections headlined by catcher Salvador Perez who will start at catcher for the American League, marking his fifth selection. Pitcher Jason Vargas was named to his first ever All-Star team.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Miguel Sano belted a three-run homer, Felix Jorge pitched five-plus solid innings to win his major league debut and the Minnesota Twins held off the Kansas City Royals 10-5 on Saturday night for a split of a doubleheader.

Brandon Moss, Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon, the Royals’ 7-8-9 hitters, went a combined 6-for-12 with three home runs, seven RBIs and scored six runs as the Royals rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Twins 11-6 in the opener.

Sano continues to torment the Royals, hitting safely in all 11 games against them this season with five home runs and 24 RBIs. He homered in both games.

Eddie Rosario went 5-for-5 and scored three runs in the second game. Rosario’s single scored Kennys Vargas in a three-run ninth.

Sano hit a three-run homer in a four-run fifth off Jason Hammel (4-7) to put the Twins up 4-2.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Vargas picked up his American League-leading 12th victory, Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 8-1 on Friday night.

Vargas (12-3) tied Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers for the major league lead in wins and lowered his ERA to 2.22, which tops the American League. He allowed two hits and one run over seven innings, while walking a season-high four.

Ervin Santana (10-5) took the loss, yielding seven runs, five earned, and eight hits.

It was the second time since 1990 that two pitchers with at least 10 wins and an ERA of less than 3.00 matched up. The previous was June 16, 2002, with Boston’s Derek Lowe (10 wins, 1.89 ERA) and Atlanta’s Tom Glavine (11 wins, 1.53 ERA) squared off in an interleague game.

Santana’s throwing error in the fourth opened the floodgates for a five-run inning. After Jorge Bonifacio opened the inning with a single, Lorenzo Cain hit a sharp grounder to Santana for a probable double play. Santana’s throw sailed wide right of second baseman Brian Dozier and into center field.

DETROIT (AP) – Michael Fulmer came within one out of a shutout, and the Detroit Tigers hit three home runs in a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.

Justin Upton, Ian Kinsler and Andrew Romine went deep for the Tigers. Fulmer (7-6) appeared headed for his second big league shutout, but Ramon Torres and Jorge Bonifacio singled with two out in the ninth, then Drew Butera drove them in with a double. Upton dropped Eric Hosmer’s soft liner to left field for an error, allowing another run to come in.

The crowd booed when manager Brad Ausmus pulled Fulmer after 104 pitches.

Jakob Junis (2-2) allowed a three-run homer to Upton in the first, as well as a solo shot by Kinsler in the third and a two-run drive by Romine in the fourth.

Fulmer retired the first nine Kansas City hitters, and the reigning AL Rookie of the Year faced only one batter above the minimum through eight innings. He ended up allowing seven hits, with seven strikeouts and no walks.

The first four Detroit batters reached base off Junis. Upton opened the scoring with his 15th home run of the year. Kinsler made it 4-0 with his ninth.

Romine’s drive to right was his third home run of the year, a career high. He hit two in each of the previous three seasons.

J.D. Martinez battled through a 15-pitch at-bat against reliever Kevin McCarthy in the seventh, finally hitting an RBI single to make it 7-0.

Junis allowed six runs and seven hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out five.