After splitting a four-game series against the team ahead of them in the American League Central Division standings, the Twins started a three-game set against the division rival breathing down their necks.

And created a little space.

Willi Castro and Royce Lewis hit home runs in a six-run second inning off Kansas City starter Brady Singer, and Pablo Lopez gave Minnesota a quality start for the fourth time in five appearances as the Twins beat the Royals, 8-3, in front of 22,173 on Monday night at Target Field.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez throws to the Kansas City Royals in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

With the victory, the Twins remained 3½ games behind first-place Cleveland and moved 1½ games ahead of Kansas City for the second AL wild card spot with 44 regular-season games to go.

Castro tied his career high with his ninth home run, a three-run shot off of Singer with two out in the second. After Trevor Larnach drew a walk, Lewis hit his 15th homer of the season, a rocket off the ribbon board in left, to make it 6-2.

Lopez (11-8) was charged with three runs, two earned, on six hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out five.

Austin Martin and Matt Wallner added run-scoring singles, and Manny Margot — who replaced Byron Buxton in center field in the sixth inning, hit a sacrifice fly off reliever Carlos Hernandez to make it 8-3 in the seventh.

Buxton left with what the Twins were calling right hip discomfort and is considered day to day.

The Royals jumped to an early lead on Bobby Witt Jr.’s one-out solo home run off Lopez in the first, and took a 2-0 lead when Kyle Isbel hit a two-out single to right that scored Adam Frazier, who had reached on a fielder’s choice, in the second.

The Twins, however, roared back in their half of the inning. After Buxton lined out to left, and Max Kepler struck out swinging, the Twins sent six straight players to the plate against Singer (8-8).

Carlos Santana walked, and Ryan Jeffers singled him to second. Austin Martin’s single to right scored Santana, and leadoff hitter Castro followed with his three-run shot into the home run porch in right to make it 4-2.

Larnach followed with a single up the middle, and Lewis finished an eight-pitch at-bat with a two-run home run for a 6-2 lead.

After that offensive outburst, Lopez settled down, retiring nine of the next 11 batters he faced, allowing Isbel’s one-out double and then hitting Witt Jr. in the triceps with two out in the fifth.

Singer was charged with six earned runs on eight hits and two walks. He fanned nine.

The Royals got one back in the top of the sixth. MJ Melendez doubled to center with one out and scored on Frazier’s two-out single to right to cut Minnesota’s lead to 6-3.

The Twins added two runs in the eighth off Carlos Hernandez. Larnach walked to start the inning and scored on Wallner’s single. Lewis, who reached on an error by Witt Jr., scored from third on Margot’s sac fly.

Scott Blewett pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for Minnesota.

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