KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- For one night at least, the Minnesota Twins responded to manager Ron Gardenhire 's challenge.

Kenny Rogers allowed an unearned run and just two hits in eight innings as the Twins routed the Kansas City Royals , 9-2, in the opener of an important three-game series.

The win pulled the Twins within three games of the first-place Royals in the American League Central Division.

Rogers (10-6), who walked one and struck out seven, threw 131 pitches. He retired the first 13 batters he faced before surrendering only an RBI single to Mendy Lopez in the fifth and a single to Angel Berroa in the sixth.

Rogers had been 0-2 with a 7.79 ERA against the Royals this season.

"I felt it," Rogers said of his high pitch count. "I could tell I was up there. But we had a big lead and I know the bullpen was strapped and I wanted to stay out there as long as possible."

"He knows how to work hitters," Gardenhire added. "He knows when he's got his good sinker going. He can work a hitter with the best of them. He can change speeds, move it in and out, put different pressure points on the ball. He sounds like a chiropractor."

After losing the final three games of a four-game series with Cleveland at home, Gardenhire apologized to the Twins' fans and said that someone on his team needed to step up and provide some leadership

Minnesota had gone 22 innings without scoring before managing three runs in the bottom of the ninth in Thursday's 8-3 loss to the Indians.

The Twins responded by pounding Royals rookie Jimmy Gobble (2-1), who surrendered five runs and eight hits in three innings in his first bad outing. He had allowed just one earned run in 12 1/3 in his first two major league starts, both against the last-place Tampa Bay Devil Rays .

"I told them we start from right here," Gardenhire said. "This is the rest of the season, 40-whatever games is left."

Gobble got through the first two innings, but fell apart in the third, when the Twins erupted for five runs, highlighted by Torii Hunter 's three-run home run.

"I think Gardy's a good manager and he knows we're going to go out there and do our best," Hunter said. "Yesterday, we just didn't bring the energy and today we did."

With one out in the third, Luis Rivas singled and scored on Corey Koskie 's RBI double. After Matt LeCroy walked, Jacque Jones delivered an RBI single. Hunter followed with his 22nd homer of the season, giving the Twins a 5-0 lead

"My ball was flattening out a little bit on me," Gobble said."I wasn't staying back like I should."

The Royals, who stayed two games ahead of second-place Chicago, had nothing but praise for Rogers.

"He definitely knows what he's doing out there," right fielder Aaron Guiel said. "It's like the other night with (Kevin) Appier (against the Yankees). He doesn't throw hard, but he uses his experience to get hitters out."

"Basically, he moved his fastball around," left fielder Raul Ibanez added. "He kept the ball out of the middle of the plate."

The Twins made it 8-0 in the fifth on Cristian Guzman 's two-run single with the bases loaded and center fielder Desi Relaford 's throwing error.

Rivas led off the ninth with his fifth homer to make it 9-1.