Kansas City, Mo. ? After losing 104 games last year, the Kansas City Royals might be even worse this season.

Lew Ford singled home the tiebreaking run off Mike Wood in the 11th inning Thursday, lifting Minnesota to a 6-5 victory and handing the Royals their eighth loss in a row.

Now they embark on a 13-day, 12-game road trip after winning only two of 15 home games this month. They were swept in three by the Chicago White Sox before the Twins swept this three-game set, giving the Royals their first winless homestand of six or more games in franchise history.

“I don’t know what to say. Every day we see the same story,” Kansas City manager Tony Pena said. “Nobody is more frustrated than the players.”

Their 5-17 record is the worst in the majors. Might it actually be good that they’re going on the road for two weeks?

“We don’t know yet,” Royals starter Runelvys Hernandez said. “We try to play hard every day, no matter where we’re going to play.”

Kansas City came back from deficits of 3-0 and 5-3 and tied it with an unearned run off Joe Nathan in the ninth. But Wood (0-2) walked pinch-hitter Joe Mauer leading off the 11th, and Nick Punto sacrificed. Shannon Stewart intentionally was walked, Jason Bartlett struck out, and Ford singled into left, just over the glove of third baseman Joe McEwing.

“I took two steps to my left and kind of dove,” McEwing said. “It hopped up over my glove and went into the outfield. We’ll get some bounces our way, hopefully soon.”

Ford, who almost came out of the game after bunting a ball off his face in the fifth, has three game-winning RBIs against the Royals this year. The Twins have won five straight and are 5-0 against Kansas City.

“At first I wasn’t sure what happened,” he said. “My ears were ringing, my eyes were watering. I never had that happen — right off the bat and right off the cheek.”

Jesse Crain (1-0), Minnesota’s sixth pitcher, allowed one hit and one walk in two innings. Justin Morneau had a career-high four hits and two RBIs for the Twins.

Nathan had converted 19 consecutive save opportunities since last Aug. 19 against the New York Yankees, including six this year, when he gave up a double to Angel Berroa leading off the ninth. Berroa tagged up and took third on a ball to deep center, then came home to tie it 5-all when third baseman Juan Castro bobbled the ball.

Twins starter Kyle Lohse came out in the fifth because of stiffness in his right shoulder, and the Twins said he will be re-evaluated in Minnesota. He gave up three runs and five hits.

Hernandez allowed five runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. He got in trouble in the first when he walked Bartlett and hit Ford with one out. Morneau followed with an RBI single, Torii Hunter hit a sacrifice fly, Jacque Jones walked with two outs and Castro hit a run-scoring double that made it 3-0.

David DeJesus hit a two-run triple in the third and then Mike Sweeney’s sacrifice fly tied it 3-all.

Ford hit a tiebreaking RBI double with two outs in the seventh and scored on Morneau’s third single for a 5-3 lead. Ken Harvey, recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Omaha, singled leading off the eighth against Juan Rincon and came around on a passed ball and two wild pitches to make it 5-4.

6Sports video: Royals fall to Twins

Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire bristled when someone suggested the Royals might be headed for record-loss territory.

“I think the Kansas City Royals are doing a lot of good things over there,” he said. “They have a heck of a young ballclub over there with some very good players, and some talented pitchers. As that group comes together it’s going to be a very good baseball team. I wouldn’t start talking about that club losing a lot of ballgames.”

Notes: RHP Shawn Camp was optioned to Triple-A Omaha, one day after he threw just three pitches in a relief outing and gave up a hit batter, a wild pitch and a two-run triple. … Minnesota’s Corky Miller was 0-for-4 and is 0-for-12 for the year. … Berroa was on base four times with a single, double and two hit by pitches.