Mitch Garver hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning, and Kyle Gibson pitched eight shutout innings to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 2-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night in Minneapolis.

Garver lined his 11th home run of the season 405 feet just over the center field fence off reliever Jake Diekman (0-4) with two outs in the eighth. The blast drove in Max Kepler, who had walked. It was the major-league-leading 133rd home run hit this season by the Twins.

Ehire Adrianza had two of Minnesota's four hits, and Kepler amassed two walks and a single.

Gibson (7-3) allowed just two hits and didn't walk a batter while striking out six. He threw 88 pitches, 55 of which were strikes, while improving to 4-0 at Target Field this season.

Taylor Rogers pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to record his seventh save of the season.

Kansas City's best scoring chance came in the sixth inning when Billy Hamilton singled with two outs and went to second on a wild pitch. However, Gibson got Whit Merrifield to fly out to center to end the threat.

Royals starter Brad Keller, who had lost his previous three starts, matched Gibson for seven innings, allowing three hits and three walks while also hitting a batter. He struck out five.

The Royals nearly broke the shutout in the ninth when Hamilton flied out to the wall in left field.

Kansas City fell to a major-league-worst 8-24 on the road. Minnesota improved to 22-10 at home.

Twins center fielder Byron Buxton, hit by a Keller pitch in the sixth inning, left the game in the eighth and is listed as day-to-day due to a right wrist bruise.

Kansas City right fielder Jorge Soler was ejected in the fifth inning by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt for arguing a strike call.

--Field Level Media