Twins' Joe Mauer: Homers in 3-for-5 game in loss to Royals

Mauer homered, a solo shot, as part of a 3-for-5 game in Monday's loss to the Royals.

Analysis:

Mauer was locked into a brutal 3-for-28 slump in his last seven starts heading into Monday's game, but he broke out in a big way with this performance. His .271/.380/.381 line still features underwhelming power from a first baseman, but Minnesota's lineup Monday featured a whopping four players with an OBP under .300, and Mauer's consistent ability to get on base represents one of the few ways they currently have to score runs.