Kansas City, Mo. ? Mike Aviles played his way to the Kansas City bench early in the season by going hitless in 18 consecutive at-bats.

That was then. It would be difficult to pry Aviles out of the Royals lineup now.

Aviles had three hits, including a homer, and drove in four runs to help the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins, 10-3, on Sunday.

“I was never worried,” Aviles said of his early skid. “Maybe other people were worried. I wasn’t. I know myself. I know I have confidence in myself. I know what I’m capable of doing at this level. I know I can help the team win.”

“I don’t think I ever was asleep. I just started off slow. Basically if you think about it, you’re going to have slumps during the course of the year. Mine was just at the start of the year and that’s why everybody noticed. I went through the same thing last year, but nobody noticed because it was later in the year.”

Minnesota fell to nine games below .500 for the first time since finishing the 2000 season 69-93. The Twins fell 10 games behind the division-leading Cleveland Indians, which is the farthest they have been out of first since finishing 17 games out in 2007.

Aviles, who matched his career high with four RBIs, hit a three-run homer in the eighth off Twins reliever Dusty Hughes, a former Royal. Aviles’ single in the two-run sixth scored Mitch Maier, who had tripled.

“I love Dusty to death.” Aviles said. “We’re really good friends. We got drafted together (in 2002). We played all the way through the minor leagues. It’s like bittersweet. I feel bad, but it’s just part of the game.”

Luke Hochevar (3-3), who gave up 12 runs in 121/3 innings in losing his previous two starts, held the Twins to five hits and three runs in 61/3 innings.