A pair of early long balls off of Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Daniel Lynch proved the difference in their AL Central Division clash with the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night.

Lynch struck out eight, but he gave up three runs on a pair of home runs, one solo smash and another two-run blast.

Three runs — all scored in the first two innings — were too much for the Royals to overcome as they lost their third in a row to the Twins, 3-2, in front of an announced 16,595 in the finale of the three-game series at Target Field in Minneapolis. The Royals were officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.

The Twins swept the threegame series, and the Royals fell to 23-46 on the road this season.

The Royals (57-87) had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position when the game ended. Twins relief pitcher Jhoan Duran, who features a fastball up to 103 mph, struck out Royals hitters Michael A. Taylor and Nick Pratto to end the game.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez went 2 for 4 with a home run, while rookie second baseman Michael Massey also had two hits (2 for 3, double, run scored, sacrifice bunt). Taylor went 1 for 4 with an RBI, and Vinnie Pasquantino went 1 for 3 and also reached on a hit by pitch.

Lynch (4-11) gave up those three runs on seven hits in five innings. He walked two.

Twins shortstop Carlos Correa put his club in front early with his 21st home run of the season, a one-out blast on a 3-2 pitch in the first inning and the first hit allowed by Lynch.

The Royals pulled even in the top of the second when Massey belted a one-out double to right-center field and then scored on an RBI single by Taylor.

Taylor, the Royals center fielder, entered the day having gone 16 for 47 (.340) with three home runs, two doubles, a triple, 11 RBIs and nine runs scored in the previous 13 games.

That 1-1 tie didn’t last past the bottom of the second inning.

The Twins (72-70) jumped on Lynch with a double by Gilberto Celestino followed by a Nick Gordon two-run home run as the Twins took a 3-1 edge.

Gordon, the son of former Royals pitcher Tom Gordon, now has four of his 11 career home runs in the majors against the Royals.

Perez’s 21st home run of the season, hit while he was wearing jersey No. 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente Day, pulled the Royals within a run in the fourth inning. He launched a 417-foot solo blast to center field that made the score 3-2.

Royals relief pitchers Collin Snider (one inning) and Dylan Coleman (two innings) combined for three scoreless innings.

Coleman, who retired all six batters he faced, has allowed just three earned runs and registered 28 strikeouts in his last 27 appearances (28 1/3 innings) dating back to July 6.

The Royals went hitless from the fourth inning until the ninth inning, but they put two of the first two men on in the ninth on singles by Perez and Pasquantino before the rally attempt fizzled.