KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Griffin Jax and a trio of relievers combined on a three-hitter and the Minnesota Twins blanked Salvador Perez and the Kansas City Royals 4-0 Saturday night.

Perez was hitless in four at-bats for the second straight night as he tries to break the team record for home runs. Leading the majors with 48 homers — one more than Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — Perez is tied with Jorge Soler (2019) for the most by a Royals player.

Josh Donaldson hit his 26th homer and Luis Arraez drove in two runs for Minnesota.

Jax (4-5) allowed just one hit in five innings. The rookie, who came into the game with a 6.78 ERA, struck out three and walked two in the best of his 14 starts in the majors.

Relievers Caleb Thielbar, Tyler Duffey and Alex Colomé finished up the shutout.

Kris Bubic (6-7) gave up two earned runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter.

Donaldson hit a solo homer in the first. Arraez’s sacrifice fly gave the Twins an unearned run in the fourth.

Byron Buxton doubled in the fifth and scored on a single by Mitch Garver. Buxton has seven hits in his last three games, and three doubles in his last two games.

Arraez added an RBI single in the eighth.

TRANSACTIONS

Twins LHP Charlie Barnes was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul. He took the spot of RHP John Gant, who was placed on the injured list after Friday night’s start.

UP NEXT

In the final game of the regular season, Twins LHP Charlie Barnes (0-3, 5.86 ERA) will face RHP Jackson Kowar (0-5, 11.28 ERA).

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