Kansas City, Mo ? Darrell May walked off the mound with an 8-1 lead in the seventh Wednesday night, feeling “pretty darn sure” he was about to get his first win in 15 starts.

But Minnesota scored seven runs after May’s departure, including three in the ninth to tie the game. Only after Raul Ibanez singled home Carlos Beltran in the bottom of the ninth did Kansas City escape with a 9-8 victory.

If the Twins had won, it would have set a Royals record for biggest blown lead in a loss.

“It’s getting pretty hard not to think about it,” said May, who has pitched fairly well but is 0-4 with 12 no-decisions since Sept. 11, when he last won. “I keep telling myself, ‘At least I’m pitching pretty well.’ Yeah, it does get in the back of your mind.

“I think I’m going to find a chicken head to hang in my locker and see if that will help.”

Eddie Guardado (0-2) walked Carlos Beltran leading off the ninth, then his wild pitch put Beltran on second before Ibanez singled to right. Beltran slid safely under the tag after a strong throw from Dustan Mohr.

“I was just in survival mode,” Ibanez said. “This was one of the wildest games of the year.”

MacDougal (3-3) got the win despite allowing three runs and four hits in the ninth.

“I feel bad, really bad for Darrell,” MacDougal said. “But at least we won the game.”

Minnesota pitcher Kyle Lohse looks at the scoreboard after giving up a three-run home run to Kansas City's Mike Sweeney, left. After bolting to an 8-0 lead, the Royals needed a ninth-inning rally to win, 9-8, Monday in Kansas City, Mo.

Mike Sweeney homered and drove in five runs as the Royals took an 8-0 lead after six.

After Sean Lowe gave up an RBI groundout to Luis Rivas that made it 8-2 in the seventh, he allowed a three-run homer to Lew Ford in the eighth that pulled the Twins to within three.

“We never stopped playing,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. “That’s what this team’s all about. Unfortunately, we didn’t get it finished. You get yourself in that big of a hole, it makes it tough.”

Lowe gave up four hits and three runs in 1 1-3 innings.

“I let them back in the game,” he said. “I told Darrell, ‘You might win 20 in the second half as good as you’re pitching.’ He said, ‘Man, the second half can’t come quick enough.”‘

Jacque Jones and Cristian Guzman singled to start the ninth, then Corey Koskie made it 8-6 with an RBI single. Matt LeCroy’s two-run double tied it.

Sweeney hit a three-run homer off Kyle Lohse in the fifth inning and singled home two runs off Tony Fiore in the sixth.

Sweeney, whose two-run single in the bottom of the ninth beat San Francisco on Sunday, is hitting .381 with three home runs and 16 RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak.

It was the sixth time he’d matched his career-high with five RBIs and the first time he’d done it since last June 20 against San Diego.

May went 6 1-3 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four, leaving after A.J. Pierzynski’s bases-loaded single scored a run in the seventh.

Lohse, whose 2.91 ERA coming into the game was the second best in the league, gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings.

Beltran had two hits for the Royals, including an RBI double, giving him six multihit games this month.

Aaron Guiel’s RBI single put the Royals ahead 2-0 in the fourth, then Michael Tucker and Joe Randa singled in the fifth before Sweeney drove Lohse’s first pitch 431 feet into the water display behind left field.

Randa had an RBI groundout in the sixth.

¢6Sports video: KC staves off comeback try from Twins

Notes: The game was the makeup of one rained out April 23. … RHP Mike Fetters tried to go through a throwing routine in the bullpen Monday but had to stop when his pitching elbow started swelling. The Twins planned to get a second opinion from a specialist before deciding what to do. … RHP Albie Lopez was activated from the 15-day DL and LHP Les Walrond was sent to Triple-A Omaha, leaving the Royals without a left-handed reliever. … Lohse’s ERA climbed from 2.91 to 3.23.