Kansas City, Mo. ? OK, so what if they did all their damage against a couple of last-place clubs?

The Minnesota Twins don’t care. Hitting 12 home runs while going 6-1 on a seven-game road swing to Baltimore and Kansas City sent them flying back home with a refreshing, renewed sense of confidence.

“You can tell around the clubhouse,” said Brian Duensing, who got the victory in a 6-4 win Wednesday that completed a three-game sweep of the Royals.

“The energy level, the way guys are pulling for each other. You can just tell. Things are kind of going our way right now.”

Delmon Young and Jason Repko hit home runs, and Joe Mauer was 2-for-4, giving last year’s AL MVP nine hits in 13 at-bats in the three games.

“This was a great road trip for us,” said Mauer, who had a career-best seven RBIs in Monday night’s 19-1 debacle. “Our starters did a great job. I think everything is starting to click.”

Minnesota outscored the Royals 36-7 in the lopsided series. While winning has built the Twins’ confidence, losing 13 of 16 has shot Kansas City’s.

“This game is based on confidence,” said Brian Bannister (7-10), who lost his fifth straight decision. “If you don’t have confidence, you’re not going to succeed.”

Bannister gave up Young’s three-run homer in the first inning. He left after allowing 11 hits and five runs in six innings.

Altogether in the three games, the Twins scored 11 runs in the first innings.

“It’s really nice when it happens, the offense comes out swinging right away and putting runs on the board,” said Duensing (4-1), who went six innings and allowed two runs.

“It makes it easier on everybody. It takes a little bit of the edge off, takes a little bit of the nerves off, too because you’re not thinking you have to go out and throw zeros up every inning,” he said.

Jon Rauch pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 25 chances.

Young has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games and is hitting .439 in July with six homers and 28 RBIs. Since May 21, his 63 RBIs are the most in baseball.

The streak is particularly gratifying to the Twins because Justin Morneau, one of their top run-producers, has been on the disabled list since July 16 with a concussion.