The Twins got a solid start out of Louie Varland, but Kansas City left-hander Cole Ragans handcuffed the hot-hitting Twins for seven-plus innings as the Royals salvaged the final game of a three-game set with a 4-1 victory in front of 27,560 at Target Field on Wednesday.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Paul DeJong hit solo home runs off Varland, but the North St. Paul and Concordia graduate — recalled from Class AAA St. Paul before the game — gave the big league club a quality start, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out three.

It was still 2-1 when Varland (0-5) retired Hunter Renfroe on a strikeout and MJ Melendez on a flyout, but DeJong followed with a hard-hit home run to dead center. It left his bat at 111.5 mph and traveled an estimated 435 feet to make it 3-1.

DeJong was 3 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored for Kansas City, which pulled within 1½ games of Minnesota for the second American League wild card spot.

The Twins combined for 25 hits and 21 runs in the first two games, both Minnesota victories, but they couldn’t figure out Ragans, who didn’t allow a base-runner until Carlos Santana’s upper deck homer to left with two out in the fourth inning.

Minnesota loaded the bases with two out in the fifth inning on singles by Kyle Farmer, Austin Martin and Manny Margot, but Ragans got Royce Lewis on a grounder to short to end the threat.

Closer Jhoan Duran entered the game for some work against the top of the Royals order in the seventh inning and gave up a run. Adam Frazier started with a single to left, his third hit of the game, and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s double to make it 4-1.

The Twins put two on with one out in the eighth with consecutive singles by Manny Margot and Lewis, but Santana lined out to deep center field against left-hander Sam Long, and right-hander Lucas Erceg induced a groundout to short from Jose Miranda.