MINNEAPOLIS -- Coming off a disappointing homestand, and on the edge of the AL wild-card race, the Kansas City Royals cant afford to let too many more opportunities slip away.The defending World Series champions regained their winning touch Monday, despite Brian Dozier hitting three home runs for Minnesota. The Royals got homers from Kendrys Morales and Eric Hosmer to pull away from the Twins 11-5.Jarrod Dyson had three hits and scored three times for Kansas City, which won for the second time in six games.We put ourselves in a tough position, but we still believe that we can pull this thing off, Hosmer said.Kansas City started the day four games out of the second wild-card spot.The Royals went 2-4 in their last six games with New York and Detroit, with each of the losses a close one.We could be talking about a major run right here. We quite possibly could have been 6-0 at home, manager Ned Yost said. We still feel that were not out of this thing by any stretch of the imagination.Dozier homered on the first pitch from Ian Kennedy (10-9), then hit a two-run shot in the third and a solo drive into the upper deck in the eighth. Dozier became the sixth Minnesota player to hit three home runs in a game, and the first to do it at home.Dozier has eight home runs in seven games and 38 this season, the most by a Twins player since Harmon Killebrew hit 41 in 1970. Doziers 10 home runs against Kansas City this year are the most ever by a Royals opponent.It would be better to be on the winning side of it, Dozier said.Kennedy struggled with command, allowing four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings but is 4-0 in his past five starts.Morales hit a three-run drive off Jose Berrios (2-5) in the fifth for a 5-4 lead. Hosmer, who had four RBI, hit a three-run homer in the eighth.Berrios was called up from Triple-A to start. The Royals tagged him for five earned runs on nine hits in five innings.Considered the Twins top pitching prospect, Berrios allowed 21 earned runs in 22 innings over five August starts before being sent down.Dozier has hit a majors-most 24 home runs since the All-Star break. Hes connected 36 times as a second baseman and twice as a designated hitter. The AL record for homers in a season by a second baseman is 39 by Alfonso Soriano in 2002 for the Yankees.The best way to (get him out) is dont throw fastballs down the middle and thats what we did, Yost said.Dozier became the second Twins player with a three-homer game this year. Rookie Max Kepler did it at Cleveland.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: OF Lorenzo Cain missed his fifth straight game because of left wrist inflammation. He was allowed to swing a bat Monday and remains day to day.Twins: Kepler got the day off. Kepler, who leads AL rookies in home runs (16), RBI (59) and walks (37), has played in all but one game since July 28. He struck out five times Sunday. We talk about young players and the challenge of playing September baseball for the first time, said manager Paul Molitor. Well try to keep them fresh as we can.UP NEXTDillon Gee (6-7, 4.33) is scheduled to start for Kansas City on Tuesday against Ervin Santana (7-10, 3.54). Gee was 2-2 with a 3.94 ERA in five August starts and pitched an inning of relief Friday. Santana is 3-1 in his last five starts with a 3.09 ERA. Cheap Stars Jerseys .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. Wholesale Stars Jerseys . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. https://www.cheapstarsonline.com/ . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Dallas Stars Shirts . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. Stitched Stars Jerseys . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. The Plunket Shield match between Wellington and Central Districts in Wellington has been abandoned after frequent aftershocks, in the wake of an earthquake on late Sunday night, left players sleep-deprived and anxious, New Zealand Cricket said.The match, originally scheduled to start on Monday, was delayed so that the venue - Basin Reserve - could be checked for structural damage caused by the earthquake. The stadium was assessed as safe by structural engineers and the match was given a go-ahead by local authorities, but NZC decided against it. The city has also seen heavy downpours since the quake.Although the Basin Reserve has been assessed as safe by structural engineers, and the match has been given the go-ahead by local authorities, New Zealand Cricket has decided proceeding with the game would be unfair on the players involved, the board said.Central Districts coach Heinrich Malan said NZC had ttaken the right decision.ddddddddddddIts been two long days to be fair, Malan told stuff.co.nz. Its not ideal when people are not able to sleep and things like that. At this stage its about looking after the welfare and health of the players.NZC will look at options for re-playing the game over the next week.The board also said that the first Test between New Zealand and Pakistan, set to begin from Thursday at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, and the ODI between the two countries womens teams, to be played on the same day at the Saxton Oval in Nelson, are expected to go ahead as planned.The Pakistan womens team was in Christchurch while their mens team was in Nelson when the earthquake - measured at 7.5 on the Richter scale - occurred on Sunday night. Both teams were safe. ' ' '