The Royals continued to struggle, dropping their sixth straight game, this one a 3-0 loss to the Twins on a Friday night at Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis.

Kansas City managed just six hits off Twins starter Geoff Zahn, who improved to 13-18 with the complete-game win. Zahn struck out eight and walked only one, and all six hits Kansas City got were singles. The Royals never even got a runner to second base.

Royals starter Dennis Leonard pitched well enough to win, but failed to pick up his 20th win of the season due to lack of run support. Leonard fell to 19-11 despite holding the Twins to nine hits and two walks over eight innings. He struck out seven.

Minnesota grabbed the lead in the second when Glenn Adams doubled with one out and scored on a Butch Wynegar single. In the fifth, Leonard retired the first two hitters before John Castino singled. Hosken Powell then hit a home run, just his sixth of the year, to give the Twins a 3-0 lead.

Zahn retired 12 straight at one point, and got a double play between singles by Willie Wilson and George Brett in the ninth. That was the only time the Royals had two baserunners in one inning, but Hal McRae grounded out to end the game.

In their six-game losing streak, the Royals had been outscored 37-12.

The loss dropped Kansas City to 92-62 on the season. The AL West champions still had a 14.5-game lead in the division.

George Brett watch: 1-4. Brett now had just four hits in his last 23 at-bats after getting his average back up to .400 on September 19. With eight games left in the season, if Brett got four at-bats in each game, he would need 18 hits in those 32 at-bats to reach .400. Season stats: .387/.453/.650

Box score and play-by-play: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN198009260.shtml

Today’s birthdays: Brian Shouse (1968), Brooks Pounders (1990)