Twins 7, Royals 0
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Andrew Albers pitched 8 1/3 scoreless innings in his major league debut, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 7-0 Tuesday night.
One night after the Royals scored a season-high 13 runs, Albers did not allow a runner to reach second base until the ninth. He gave up four hits, all singles, and one walk while striking out two.
Albers, a 27-year-old Canadian left-hander who missed the 2009-10 seasons after elbow surgery, had a career 25-10 record with a 2.85 ERA in the minors.
He was lifted after yielding a single to Alcides Escobar and walking Eric Hosmer in the ninth, having thrown 109 pitches. Casey Fien replaced Albers and walked Billy Butler to load the bases, but he induced Alex Gordon to ground into a game-ending double play to complete the shutout.
Albers yielded singles to Hosmer in the first and seventh innings, and singles to Escobar in the sixth and ninth innings.
Brian Dozier, Justin Morneau and Chris Colabello homered for the Twins off Royals right-hander James Shields in the first four innings.
Shields (6-8) allowed a season-high seven runs on eight hits in six innings. Left-hander Will Smith replaced Shields and worked three spotless innings.
The Twins, who were blanked on four hits Monday, jumped out to a 5-0 advantage Tuesday.
Dozier opened the game with a homer that landed in the Royals' left field bullpen. It was the Twins' first leadoff homer since Denard Span hit one on June 12, 2012, against Philadelphia.
Morneau also homered in the first after Jamey Carroll walked. It was Morneau's fourth home run in 36 at-bats off Shields.
The Twins manufactured a run without a hit in the second. Shields walked Chris Herrmann and hit Clete Thomas with a pitch to begin the inning. Doug Bernier advanced them with a bunt and Dozier's sacrifice fly to center brought home Herrmann.
The Twins made it 5-0 in the fifth after Colabello opened the inning with a homer to right on the first pitch.
NOTES: Royals LHP Danny Duffy will make his first start of season in the series finale Wednesday. Duffy, who was 3-0 with a 4.21 ERA in 10 starts with Triple-A Omaha, replaces RHP Wade Davis, who remains on the family emergency list after the death of his step-brother. ... Minnesota's Joe Mauer made his first start at first base since July 7 and only his sixth start of the season at the position. He has been the Twins' starting catcher in 66 games. ... Twins SS Pedro Florimon, who has been out with a sore left wrist, took batting practice. If he feels OK on Wednesday, he will start. ... Twins OF Darin Mastroianni, who went on the disabled list in April with a left ankle injury, will move his rehab appointment to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday. ... Royals OF David Lough, who has missed two games with a left quad injury, is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday.
