Twins 4, Royals 1: Phil Hughes allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings as host Minnesota cooled off Kansas City and knotted the four-game series at one victory apiece.

Kurt Suzuki homered and scored twice and Brian Dozier had an RBI double as the Twins handed the Royals only their second loss in 13 games. Hughes (13-8) won his third consecutive start, striking out six while permitting seven hits and not walking a batter, and Glen Perkins got the final three outs for his 31st save.

Nori Aoki, Alex Gordon and Raul Ibanez had two hits apiece for Kansas City, which had its three-game winning streak snapped to cut its lead atop the American League Central to a half-game over Detroit. Rookie Yordano Ventura (9-9) gave up three runs on four hits and a season-high six walks to lose for the first time since July 20.

Aoki led off the fourth inning with a double and stole third as catcher Suzuki threw wildly into left field, allowing him to come home with the game's first run. Ventura escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second and allowed only one hit through six innings before running into trouble in the seventh when Chris Parmelee followed Suzuki's leadoff single with a bunt single.

Danny Santana plated the tying run with a groundout and Dozier doubled in the go-ahead run before Joe Mauer was intentionally walked to load the bases and Kennys Vargas followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1, ending Ventura's night. Hughes got in a jam in the eighth but Casey Fien retired the final two batters and Suzuki added insurance with a solo shot in the bottom of the frame.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Mauer went 0-for-3 to halt his hitting streak at 16 games, which tied a career high. ... Aoki had his fifth two-hit game in the last 10 contests and has scored eight runs in that span. ... Suzuki is 6-for-10 in his last three games.