KANSAS CITY – Taylor Rogers pitched around a misplayed popup by Willians Astudillo in the ninth inning on Friday night as the Minnesota Twins held on for an 8-7 comeback victory over the Kansas City Royals at Kaufmann Stadium.

That error by Astudillo allowed the Royals a runner at first with one out before Nicky Lopez lined into a double play to end the game.

The Twins trailed by three runs on two separate occasions but rallied to go ahead in the eighth inning. Leading off the eighth, Miguel Sano homered to right-center to tie it up at 6-all. The Twins then took the lead on an RBI single by Max Kepler and another RBI single by Eddie Rosario for an 8-6 lead.

Kansas City got a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth from Jorge Soler.

Ryne Harper got the win for the Twins in an inning of relief, while Rogers got the two-inning save.

YANKEES 4, ASTROS 1

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sánchez and Gleyber Torres each homered for the third game in a row, providing a pair of two-run shots that sent the New York Yankees past the skidding Houston Astros 4-1 on Friday night for their seventh straight victory.

Aaron Judge was hitless in his return to the lineup — batting leadoff — but James Paxton (5-3) won consecutive starts for the first time with the Yankees, who matched their longest winning streak of the year.

Houston wasted a strong start from Brad Peacock (6-5) and has dropped six in a row for the first time since losing seven straight in June 2016.

Paxton went five-plus innings before handing a slim lead to a shutdown bullpen that delivered again for the AL East leaders.

Aroldis Chapman got three outs for his 21st save in 23 attempts. He was checked by a trainer after slipping to the turf while fielding Jose Altuve’s bunt single with two outs in the ninth. Then he threw a called third strike past rookie bopper Yordan Álvarez with two aboard to end it.

Houston went 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 in all.

The Astros scored on successive doubles by Tyler White and Jake Marisnick with two outs in the fourth.

MARLINS 2, PHILLIES

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Sandy Alcantara pitched 7 2/3 sharp innings, Bryan Holaday hit a solo homer and Miami dealt Philadelphia its fifth straight loss.

Alcantara (4-6) gave up one run, eight hits and struck out six. Sergio Romo earned his 14th save in 15 tries.

Phillies ace Aaron Nola (6-2) allowed two runs — one earned — and six hits, striking out 10 in eight innings.

The Marlins went ahead in the sixth after Brian Anderson got hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to third on Starlin Castro’s single. Anderson scored when third baseman Scott Kingery bobbled Cesar Puello’s slow roller for an error.

The Phillies tied it a 1 in the third when Roman Quinn stole home.

NATIONALS 4, BRAVES 3

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dallas Keuchel labored through five innings in his Atlanta debut, coughing up a three-run lead in a loss to Washington.

Keuchel (0-1) made his first first major league appearance since starting Game 3 of last year’s AL Championship Series for the Houston Astros. He never retired Washington in order and gave up four runs, three earned, on eight hits. He hit two batters.

The Braves had won 11 of 13. The third-place Nationals have won five straight and nine of 12.

Atlanta led 3-0 in the fourth thanks to a two-run homer by Austin Riley and an RBI double by Freddie Freeman.

In the bottom half, Victor Robles lined an RBI triple and scored on Michael A. Taylor’s squeeze bunt. Yan Gomes homered to tie it at 3-3.

Washington pushed ahead in the fifth, when Juan Soto led off with a triple and Anthony Rendon singled him home.

Stephen Strasburg (8-4) allowed three runs in six innings. Wander Suero allowed the first two runners to reach in the ninth before retiring the side for his first career save.