Pavano Wins 100th Game, Twins Beat Royals 5-2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Carl Pavano earned his 100th career victory and Michael Cuddyer homered as the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 Friday night.
Pavano (3-5), who was 0-3 with a 5.28 ERA in six May starts, won for the first time since April 24. He held the Royals to two runs and eight hits in his first complete game since Sept. 10, 2010, after throwing seven complete games last year. He threw 83 strikes in 112 pitches.
In his 13th season, Pavano is 100-94 in 270 games -- 252 starts for five teams.
Cuddyer homered off Royals rookie left-hander Danny Duffy in the third. It was Cuddyer's 18th career home run against the Royals.
Denard Span drove in Ben Revere and Drew Butera with a two-out double in the second inning. Duffy walked Butera, who was hitting .133, before Span hit a liner over center fielder Melky Cabrera's head.
Duffy (0-1), who was making his fourth big league start, departed after 96 pitches and five innings, yielding three runs on seven hits and three walks, while striking out three.
Butera's sixth inning double to left off Tim Collins scored Luke Hughes to give the Twins a 4-2 advantage. Butera's sacrifice fly in the eighth scored Delmon Young to pad the Twins lead.
The Royals scored both of their runs in the fourth when they grouped four singles with Alex Gordon and Brayan Pena driving in the runs. Billy Butler had three of the Royals' nine hits.
Royals rookie first baseman Eric Hosmer had a ground-rule double in the third that bounced off the padding and a fan picked it up over the fence. The umpiring crew reviewed it and called it a double, not a home run.
NOTES: The Royals placed RHP Sean O'Sullivan, who was 0-3 with a 13.25 ERA in his past four starts, on the 15-day disabled list Friday with biceps tendinitis. The Royals recalled RHP Jesse Chavez from Triple-A Omaha, where he was 2-3 with five saves and a 4.94 ERA in 19 games. Chavez will go to the bullpen, while the Royals have not yet announced who will replace O'Sullivan in the rotation. The Twins acquired OF Jeremy Reed from the Brewers for cash considerations and sent him to their Triple-A Rochester club. Reed has played in the majors with Seattle, New York Mets, Toronto and Milwaukee, including seven games with the Brewers this season. "We'll see what he has left," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "If he has something that can help us, that's a good thing."
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