Salvador Perez started his fifth straight All-Star Game Christian Jones Jersey , though it was more for his reputation than what he’s done offensively this season.

That could be changing.

Perez homered, reliever Brian Flynn picked up the win with three scoreless innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2 on Saturday night.

The Royals won back-to-back games for the first time since May 29-30.

Perez belted his 14th homer with Mike Moustakas aboard in the first. Perez hit a 2-2 pitch from Lance Lynn out to right, only his third opposite-field homer this season.

”That’s a sign,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. ”His bats tonight were fantastic. He was taking pitches, seeing the ball really well, getting in good hitter’s counts. That’s when he is starting to come out of it. He gets just a little less anxious and starts seeing the ball better, like he did tonight.

”I turned to (hitting coach) Terry Bradshaw and Pedro (Grifol, catching coach) and said, `He’s coming now. He’s going to get hot.’ “

Perez has 11 RBIs in his past seven games and is batting .303 in an eight-game hitting streak.

”I hit it good,” Perez said. ”I’m closer to doing my best every day. It makes me feel better for the next day.”

Lynn (7-8) walked Alcides Escobar, Moustakas and Perez in the third to load the bases for Lucas Duda, who laced a run-producing single to left.

Joe Mauer led off the game with his 415th double, breaking a tie with Kirby Puckett to move into first place on the Twins’ career list. He scored on Eddie Rosario’s single.

”It means a lot to me, obviously, growing up in Minnesota Carlos Henderson Jersey ,” Mauer said. ”The guy I passed I idolized as a kid. I told the guys in here after Molly (Paul Molitor) gave me the ball, that it was pretty special to see the boys acknowledge that on the top step of the dugout. Hopefully there’s a lot more to come.”

Lynn matched his career high with six walks and the Royals fouled off a plethora of pitches to hike his pitch count to 118 for five innings.

”It’s a little bit annoying, especially when everybody knows what you’re throwing and they can’t put it in play,” Lynn said. ”You’re like, `Let’s go.’ When I did make a pitch, they got a couple of runs on balls out of the zone that weren’t bad pitches.”

Jakob Junis, who was making his first start in 19 days after a stint on the disabled list with a bad back, held the Twins to one run and four hits while striking out six over four innings. He had lost his seven previous starts, one shy of the club record.

Flynn (2-1) replaced Junis and limited the Twins to one hit while striking out four.

Wily Peralta worked a spotless ninth for his third save in three chances.

ROSTER MOVES

Twins: DH-1B Logan Morrison (hip impingement) was activated from the disabled list after the game. The Twins optioned IF Willians Astudillo to Triple-A Rochester.

Royals: LHP Enny Romero was designated for assignment to make roster room for Junis. In four relief appearances with the Royals, Romero had a 20.25 ERA.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: RHP Ervin Santana (surgery, right middle finger) had his velocity top out at 90 mph and was working in the upper 80s in his Friday rehab start with Triple-A Rochester. ”A lot of emphasis is made about velocity, probably too much so,” Molitor said. ”The command was the highlight, the strike-throwing, getting the ball where he wanted.” Santana will throw a bullpen session Sunday with Rochester and a decision will be made on whether to give him another minor league start or have him start Wednesday in Toronto.

Royals: RHP Blaine Boyer (right lower back strain) threw a 26-pitch simulated game Saturday. ”He had life on his pitches Kenny Golladay Jersey , a good cutter,” Yost said. ”He’s making progress.” Boyer has not pitched since May 28. ”I felt free and loose,” Boyer said. Boyer said he hopes to begin a minor league rehab assignment soon. ”I need to get in a game and go,” he said. ”I’m getting anxious.”

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Jake Odorizzi is 2-4 with a 4.75 ERA in six career starts against the Royals.

Royals: RHP Brad Keller, a Rule 5 pick from Arizona, will make his ninth start.

As free agency kicked off the start of a new football season, the NFL sent a clear message to anyone paying attention:

Colin Kaepernick, you’re still not wanted.

Probably not ever.

Oh, and while we’re at it, it’s pretty clear the owners have every intention of clamping down on any other players who tries to carry on Kaepernick’s legacy.

Rattled by another big dip in the television ratings and an increasing number of empty seats, the league seems determined to banish peaceful protest from the playing field.

While it’s quite a stretch to say those trends are intimately related – injuries, bad games and poor showings by several of the league’s most popular teams were surely bigger factors in the waning popularity – the guys sitting on what remains an enormous cash cow aren’t taking any chances.

Since Kaepernick is the one who got this whole thing started by having the audacity to silently kneel during the national anthem to protest racial injustice – the nerve of that guy! – his career could very well be over.

Never mind that he’s undoubtedly more talented than many of the quarterbacks who still have paying jobs.

Just look at those who have already agreed to new deals heading into the 2018 season.

– Kirk Cousins , who has a losing career record as a starter and has yet to win a playoff game.

– Case Keenum , coming off a marvelous season with the Minnesota Vikings but definitely a candidate for one-year wonder.

– AJ McCarron , who has just three starts in four years.

– Mike Glennon Johnny Unitas Jersey , saddled with an awful career record of 6-16.

– Tom Savage , who went 1-6 as the Texans‘ starter last season.

– Chase Daniel, the epitome of a journeyman.

– Josh McCown , who is 38 years old and, despite the lack of any apparent success over his long career, keeps landing on his feet.

While all those guys keep cashing checks, Kaepernick was working out privately on a field in Houston , quietly going through the grind with only the help of his personal trainers, apparently still hopeful of restarting his career.

His optimism is likely misplaced.

While there’s always a chance of some owner breaking ranks to sign Kaepernick, the possibility grows less likely with each passing day. If anything, the owners are intent on nipping social consciousness in the bud.

Stephen Ross of the Miami Dolphins probably spoke out loud what most owners are saying behind closed doors when he was quoted as saying his players would be required to stand for the national anthem this season.

Ross quickly backtracked, saying his comments were ”misconstrued,” but a statement explaining his position left no doubt that he’s had enough of taking a knee.

”I’m passionate about the cause of social justice, and I feel that kneeling is an ineffective tactic that alienates more people than it enlists,” he said.

There was also a report from the Houston Chronicle that Texans owner Robert McNair doesn’t want to acquire players who have engaged in protests or might be likely to going forward. While the team quickly denied the report Alex Erickson Jersey , McNair’s stance on such issues is apparent to everyone. At an owners meeting last year, he grumbled that ”we can’t have the inmates running the prison” – a remark that prompted most of his players to join arms and kneel before their next game .

Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks cut ties with two of their most outspoken players, Michael Bennett and Richard Sherman . While a point could be made that these moves were strictly designed to clear room under the salary cap and rebuild an aging defense, one couldn’t help but wonder if their support of Kaepernick’s protest contributed to the moves.

After clearly being blackballed last season, Kaepernick filed a grievance alleging the owners colluded to keep him out of the league . But it would probably take a mass walkout by all the fellow players to get him back on the field, and that’s not happening.

There’s too much money at stake to risk it all for a single player, no matter how unjustly he’s been treated. Even if all the players could come together as one, chances are their protest would collapse as soon as they miss a few paychecks, just as it did during the infamous 1987 strike when a plethora of big-name players crossed the picket line.

So, as we get started on a new NFL season, Kaepernick can expect to keep working out in solitude, at least until he decides on another line of work.

A bunch of less-qualified quarterbacks will continue to hold jobs.

The only message we can send:

Shame on you, NFL.

—

Paul Newberry is a sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry(at)ap.org or at Mikal Bridges Jersey ,