KANSAS CITY, Mo. >> Standing on the mound Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium, right-hander Joe Ryan said he felt a breeze at his back, along with a charge of confidence.

This was going to be a good night for the Minnesota Twins.

“I could feel the wind and, being a sailor, I was, like, ‘All right, I know where this is going,’” Ryan said.

It was going into the books as another dominant performance by Ryan against the Kansas City Royals. No matter whom it came against, the Twins needed it deeply.

Ryan allowed two hits and struck out four over seven scoreless innings, getting solo home runs from Matt Wallner and Ty France, plus help from others in a 4-0 victory for the Twins.

They snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 4-8 overall, meaning music blared in the Twins’ clubhouse for the first time since Saturday. Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak.

Ryan (1-1) wasn’t sure, or he wasn’t saying, why he’s so effective against the Royals. He owns a 1.30 ERA in nine career starts against them, the lowest ERA for any pitcher making at least nine starts against Kansas City in major league history. At Kauffman, he’s even better, posting an 0.90 ERA in five starts.

“They’ve put me in some really tough situations that I’ve been able to get out of,” Ryan said. “Again, it’s a testament to our defense.”

The Twins’ best defensive play happened in the fourth inning.

Bobby Witt went the other way for a double to right and, one out later, Salvador Perez hit a deep fly to center. Witt had tried to steal third on the pitch and slid hands first into third base. He had gone too far to return to second once Harrison Bader caught the ball. Bader made a perfect throw to an outstretched Edouard Julien, just nipping Witt at the bag.

“That stuff always fires you up,” Ryan said. “You just know that they’re there on defense. I think it makes it easier to pump strikes.”

Ryan’s shoulder injury and subsequent surgery ended his 2024 season prematurely. But before he got hurt in August, manager Rocco Baldelli said, Ryan was throwing like he did against the Royals at almost every opportunity.

“That was an exceptional outing for Joe,” Baldelli said. “He looked great. He was in command of everything. It didn’t look like they had good looks at him. It looked like the stuff was crisp.”

Ryan has made three outings with no walks to open the season.

“Another outing, no walks,” Baldelli said.

Twins starting pitchers came in tied for 28th in innings pitched, averaging 4 2/3 innings per outing, but Ryan came in ready for more. Ryan himself hadn’t gone longer than five innings in his first two starts, but said Pablo López’s effort a day earlier inspired him. López made it through 4 2/3 innings before a hamstring injury took him off the field.

“He threw the ball fantastic,” Ryan said. “It sucks that he had to come out with that. That was more my motivation.”

López said Wednesday he was headed for the injured list.

The Twins waited out Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (1-1), who kept the Twins off the scoreboard until two outs in the fourth, when Julien drove in a run with a single to right. With Carlos Correa heading home, it looked like Royals outfielder Hunter Renfroe had a play at the plate. But the trailing runner, Trevor Larnach, was between second base and third and Renfroe threw that way, letting Correa score. Larnach was tagged out in a rundown.

After an intentional walk to Larnach with two outs in the sixth, France found a hole on the right side for an opposite-field RBI single to make it 2-0.

Wallner hit a homer to right that just got out in the eighth, and France connected into the Twins’ bullpen for another solo shot in the ninth. The home runs were the first for both hitters this season.

France, who has been striking the ball well without much to show for it, said he liked going the opposite way for a single, but still appreciated the home run more.

“It’s nice to know I still have some gas left in the tank,” France said.

France also found motivation in the Royals walking Larnach. Or maybe he just ginned it up. The Twins will take motivation anywhere they can get it.