Minneapolis ? Todd Sears has proven one thing in his short major league career — he can produce under pressure.

Sears, whose first career homer came off Pedro Martinez, made his second even more memorable. He hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the 10th inning Tuesday night, giving Minnesota a 4-2 victory over Kansas City.

“It feels pretty good,” said Sears, who was called up from Triple-A Rochester April 29. “Any time you can hit a walkoff home run, it’s as good as it gets.”

Bobby Kielty, limited to pinch-hitting duty because of a rib-cage injury, tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the ninth with a single off closer Mike MacDougal.

The top two teams in the AL Central have split the first two games of a four-game series, leaving Kansas City with a 21¼2-game lead. The Twins have won 11 of their last 14 games.

Dustan Mohr singled with one out in the 10th off Albie Lopez (4-2). A.J. Pierzynski grounded into a potential inning-ending double play, but second baseman Desi Relaford’s throw pulled first baseman Ken Harvey off the bag.

Harvey caught the ball and tried to tag Pierzynski, but the ball popped out of Harvey’s glove, bounced off Pierzynski and rolled into right field.

Pierzynski ended up at third base, and Harvey was charged with an error.

“It was one of those do-or-die catches, a play that didn’t go our way,” said Harvey, who gave the Royals a 2-1 lead with a two-out RBI double in the eighth. “As soon as I caught the ball he hit my glove, and just freed the ball.”

Sears followed with his homer to complete Minnesota’s comeback.

“How about Todd Sears?” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “How about Bobby Kielty? We got some big-time hitting in some clutch situations.”

Minnesota's Tom Prince, left, slides past Kansas City catcher Brent Mayne. Prince scored in the seventh inning Tuesday at Minnesota. The Twins won, 4-2 in 10 innings.

LaTroy Hawkins (2-0) earned the victory with two scoreless innings.

Chris Gomez singled leading off the Minnesota ninth, went to second on MacDougal’s wild pitch and third on Corey Koskie’s fly ball. Kielty singled to left to tie it before Torii Hunter grounded into a double play.

It was MacDougal’s third blown save in 14 chances.

Relaford had three hits and drove in a run for the Royals. Kyle Snyder, making just his third major league start, limited the Twins to four singles through the first six innings.

Snyder left after allowing a one-out double to Matthew LeCroy in the seventh. D.J. Carrasco got Hunter on a popup, but Doug Mientkiewicz’s single scored pinch-runner Tom Prince with the tying run.

¢ 6Sports video: Royals drop game two against Twins

Twins starter Kyle Lohse, coming off a shutout against Tampa Bay on May 8, struck out seven in the first five innings. But his 14-inning scoreless streak ended in the sixth, when Relaford’s two-out bloop single down the left-field line scored Raul Ibanez, giving the Royals a 1-0 lead.

Lohse allowed one run and eight hits in seven innings, striking out seven and walking none.

Snyder gave up one run and five hits in 61¼3 innings, walking none.

Notes: Twins 1B Mientkiewicz made his first major league appearance in the outfield because a series of minor injuries left the Twins short-handed. Jacque Jones was limited to pinch-hitting duty with a pulled quadriceps, and Kielty has a strained rib cage that has made throwing difficult. After a pair of pinch-hitters were used in the eighth, Gardenhire was forced to use Mientkiewicz in right field in the ninth inning. … Relaford raised his career batting average against the Twins to .500 (13-for-26).