MINNEAPOLIS -- After adding Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes in the off-season, the Twins expected their rotation to be better. Instead, the offence has been the biggest turnaround for Minnesota. Joe Mauer hit his first home run of the season, Brian Dozier connected for his fourth and Nolasco earned his initial win with the Twins in a 7-1 victory Saturday over the Kansas City Royals. "I feel like, one through nine, everybody today had at least three hard-hit balls each, and thats a tell-tale sign an offence is clicking," said Dozier, who tied for the AL lead in homers. "Been doing that for the past week now, so everything is starting to click as a team right now." A day after getting his first RBI of the year, Mauer hit a three-run shot against starter James Shields (0-2). Dozier had a leadoff homer for Minnesota, which has scored the second-most runs in the American League. Nolasco (1-1) showed why the Twins signed him to a $49 million, four-year contract to steady their rotation. The right-hander gave up five runs in each of his first two outings for his new team, but was on top of his game Saturday in his first home start for Minnesota. Nolasco went eight innings and allowed five hits with four strikeouts. "I wish I could say Im going to go eight every time," Nolasco said. "This level is very difficult and you can never count yourself out no matter how good or bad youre doing. I had two bad starts, but my mentality is still like I could do something like today." While the rotation was addressed in the off-season, it was Minnesotas lineup that figured to keep the Twins near the bottom of the AL Central again. Instead, Dozier has been a power source in the leadoff spot, and Minnesota has received big production from a middle of the order that includes Trevor Plouffe, Chris Colabello and Jason Kubel. Making the transition full-time to first base this season, Mauer was slow to come around with the bat. Kansas Citys first trip to Minnesota was the perfect remedy, though. In his career, Mauer has hit .338 against the Royals with 11 homers and 95 RBIs. Hes also hit .350 (12 for 37) against Shields. "When its all said and done his numbers are going to be there," acting Twins manager Terry Steinbach said. "Hes a professional hitter, a great hitter, and just over the course of time its going to happen. It was good to see him connect with one and get that ball out of the ballpark." Shields put Kansas City in an early hole again. The Royals had seven quality starts in their first eight games, but Bruce Chen allowed two first-inning runs Friday night and only went 3 2-3 innings. Shields gave up a home run to Dozier on his fourth pitch and Minnesota added six runs in the second. Shields was undone by the defence, including his own. None of the runs in the second were earned because Shields misplayed a sacrifice bunt by Kurt Suzuki, with the ball slipping out of his hand for an error as the pitcher tried to throw to third base. Shields then walked No. 8 hitter Aaron Hicks with the bases loaded. Later, third baseman Mike Moustakas couldnt handle a hard-hit grounder by Dozier that deflected into left field for an error, allowing two runs to score. Mauer followed Moustakas error with a three-run homer, his first since Aug. 16 last season. "Even though it was a 3-2 count, I was trying to go changeup down and away," Shields said. "Hes a pretty good hitter. Hes going to hit that every time." Shields yielded seven runs -- one earned -- in 5 2-3 innings. He gave up six hits and walked three while striking out five. NOTES: Steinbach filled in for Twins manager Ron Gardenhire the past two games while Gardenhire attended the funeral for Michael Hirschbeck in Ohio. Hirschbeck, the son of umpire John Hirschbeck, died Tuesday at age 27. Gardenhire is expected back for Sundays game. ... Kansas City recalled LHP Danny Duffy from Triple-A Omaha to pitch out of the bullpen. Duffy, who was in the mix for a rotation spot this spring, is the only healthy left-hander in the bullpen. The Royals optioned 2B Johnny Giavotella to Omaha. ... Minnesota put LF Josh Willingham on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised left wrist. Willingham was set to have an MRI later Saturday. The move was made retroactive to Monday, and the team hopes hell be ready to return when eligible. The Twins recalled RHP Michael Tonkin from Triple-A Rochester. ... Minnesota assistant general manager Rob Antony said SS Jason Bartlett will travel to Fort Myers, Fla., on Sunday to begin rehabilitating a left ankle injury. Bartlett was placed on the disabled list Monday. ... Twins RHP Kevin Correia (0-1, 6.17 ERA) pitches Sunday against LHP Jason Vargas (1-0, 1.20). Cheap Jerseys . 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Norm Bass Jersey Online .Mack, a reserve guard who came in averaging 3.8 points, made all six of his 3-pointers as the Hawks went 16 for 28 from behind the arc.Trailing 50-38 midway through the second quarter, Atlanta outscored Cleveland 89-48 the rest of the way and sent the Cavaliers to their largest loss of the season.LONDON, Ont. - Petri Kontiola doesnt remember his last NHL game. Its been a long time since I played last time, he says. Long, indeed. Picked with the 196th overall selection by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2004, Kontiola hadnt suited up in any NHL game of any kind in more than six years – Mar. 2nd, 2008. He had an assist that night – his 12th career game – in a 4-1 win over the Canucks. It could stand as the final point he ever registers as an NHL player. Or not. Now clocked in at 29 years of age, wiser and more mature, the Finnish forward is giving it one final shot to make it back to the league. Its probably his last chance to try and make it, Leo Komarov, his teammate both internationally and now here in Toronto, said. Wedged in the depths of a Blackhawks organization that was soon to pop Kontiola left North America for the Kontinental Hockey League after the 2008-09 season. He hadnt played a game with the NHL club that year - Chicago was led by an emerging Jonathan Toews – and toiled instead between AHL stops in Rockford and Iowa. It appeared his NHL dreams were over. He took his career to the steel town of Magnitogorsk for two seasons before landing in Chelyabinsk, just north of the Russian border with Kazakhstan. Kontiola played there for the next three campaigns, leading the team with 37 points in 53 games last season. But after a sneaky bronze-medal run with the Finnish Olympic team in February, his thoughts began to drift back to the league he had left in such disappointing fashion. I was just like a young kid at that time, he says. Now maybe five years later Im more ready. Gambling that that was indeed the case, Kontiola put up more than half a million of his own money to get out of his contract with Chelyabinsk. Toronto signed him for one year at $1.5 million, offering him one last chance to re-imagine his NHL dream. And so hes back now giving it another go. I think Im at that age that its either now or never, Kontiola said of the decision to return. Thats why. Hell be in tough to make the team. Given the glut of forwards at training camp theres not a whole lot of room for error. Kontiola is the only waiver-exempt forward competing for an NHL job in Toronto, but a trip to the Marlies is unlikely if he fails to crack the Leafs lineup.dddddddddddd Hes shown that when he plays with good players he can find people the puck, said head coach, Randy Carlyle. The question will be the pace of the game; can he perform at a higher level? Exhibition games are going to be harder than the scrimmages that we were participating in. Kontiola, who can play both wing and centre, doesnt appear the fleetest of foot and that, it appears, will be the biggest question of him in the days ahead. Can he continue to create offensively at NHL speeds? Carlyle wouldnt say that Kontiola needed to win a job in an offensive capacity, but with six players essentially competing for four spots on the second and third lines he will have to make some kind of offensive impression during the exhibition schedule. I think he needs to be an NHL quality player, Carlyle said, noting a high hockey IQ. Roommates at the Sochi Olympics and teammates through a number of World Championships, including Belarus in 2014, Komarov invited Kontiola to live with him upon his arrival to the city a couple weeks back. He had similar help from the former Leafs tag-team of Mikhail Grabovski and Nik Kulemin when he first landed here in 2013. Im showing him the city and how to drive to the MCC and stuff like that, Komarov said with a smirk. A Leaf draft pick in 2006, Komarov made a similar leap to North America in the lockout-shortened campaign, but unlike Kontiola had never played in the NHL at any point. He excelled in 42 games and after a brief return to Moscow Dynamo last season, returned to the Leafs. Hes intent on making sure his countryman undergoes a quick adjustment, also hopeful of having a familiar face around. He likes to get the puck and make plays, Komarov said, opposing Kontiola in the KHL last season. I hope hes gonna make the team and have a good season. Kontiola admitted to a few nerves ahead of his exhibition debut from London on Monday. Long-legged with an almost choppy stride, he teamed mostly with Carter Ashton and Tyler Biggs, killed a few penalties, set up on the power-play, but managed little offensively. His chase for the NHL though is underway. Last time I was here it didnt go that well, he said. I wanted to try it again. ' ' '