KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jason Vargas pitched seven shutdown innings, Mike Moustakas cracked a two-run homer and the Kansas City Royals romped to a 5-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. Alcides Escobar had three hits and Omar Infante also drove in two runs for the Royals, who followed up a sweep at the hands of Minnesota last weekend by sweeping Houston and then taking the first of their three-game set against the Twins this weekend. Ricky Nolasco (1-2) gave up five runs on 11 hits in 5 2-3 innings for the Twins. He was coming off a 7-1 win over Kansas City in which he allowed one run on four hits in eight innings. Vargas (2-0), who signed a $32 million, four-year deal in the off-season, allowed seven hits while striking out four in another dazzling start. The crafty left-hander lowered his ERA to 1.24 while going at least seven innings in each of his four outings this season. Vargas put runners on base each of the first five innings, though he was never in serious trouble. Only twice did a runner reach second base and each time a lazy fly ball ended the inning. Even when the Twins hit a ball hard, Alex Gordon was there to make a play. The Royals Gold Glove left-fielder threw a strike from the warning track to second base in the fourth inning, cutting down Josmil Pinto as he tried to stretch a single. Two innings later, Gordon made a running catch into the padding in foul territory on Joe Mauers fly ball. Escobar sent a charge through the Royals anemic offence with a double in the third inning, and consecutive singles by Nori Aoki, Infante and Eric Hosmer staked them to a 2-0 lead. Infantes single drove in Escobar to make it 3-0 in the fifth. Billy Butler, in the throes of a massive slump, singled in the sixth before Moustakas, also off to a slow start, sent a pitch sizzling into the seats in right. His second homer of the season made it 5-0 and chased Nolasco from the game. Neither team threatened to score again, the Royals wrapping up their first shutout win and the Twins getting blanked for the first time this season. NOTES: The Royals placed OF Jarrod Dyson on the bereavement list and recalled INF/OF Jimmy Paredes was recalled from Triple-A Omaha before the game. ... An MRI exam on Royals OF Lorenzo Cain (strained groin) came back negative. Manager Ned Yost hopes to have him back after a 15-day DL stint. ... Twins OF Jason Kubel got the night off from the starting lineup. He flied out as a pinch hitter in the seventh. ... LHP Bruce Chen (sore back) will start for KC on Saturday. He was initially scheduled to pitch Thursday. RHP Kevin Correia will start for the Twins. ... There was a moment of silence before the game for the victims of the shootings Sunday at a Jewish community centre and nearby senior living centre in suburban Kansas City. San Diego Padres Shirts . Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Keeping The Captain? Brian Giontas agent Steve Bartlett told La Presse on Tuesday that the Montreal Canadiens want to keep their captain - an unrestricted free agent on July 1 - in the fold, while sources tell the paper that the two sides will start talks this week. Bip Roberts Jersey . The Los Angeles Clippers showed them just how ugly that life could be. Jared Dudley scored a season-high 21 points, Chris Paul added 16 points and 17 assists, and the Clippers jumped all over the Bulls in Roses absence for a 121-82 victory Sunday. https://www.cheappadresjerseys.us/133m-a...padres.html.The Canadiens will visit the Boston Bruins at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on New Years Day 2016, taking hockeys oldest rivalry outside.It was special in 2010 just to be there with the history behind Fenway Park and all that, Bruins centre Patrice Bergeron said. Jerry Coleman Jersey . - First-timer Chris Harris Jr. Luis Torrens Jersey . The 155th edition of the Plate for Canadian-foaled three-year-olds, the oldest continuously run stakes race in North America, will be televised live on TSN in HD (High Definition) in a special presentation from 4:30 – 6:00 pm ET. Post time is 5:38 pm.Soccer Saturday pundit Charlie Nicholas provides us with his predictions for the midweek Premier League games. West Brom take the trip to face Arsenal at the Emirates on Thursday night.Heres what Charlie is predicting in his Sky Bet tips... Arsenal v West Brom (Thursday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7pm) Yannick Bolasies equaliser all but ended Arsenals title hopes Ive actually got to the stage, and I have been for four and five weeks, where Im not comfortable watching my team. Im not at the edge of my seat. Its so predictable and its always Mesut Ozil that has to create.People criticise him because hes not quick and dynamic but thats not his job. Danny Welbecks movement is good but his touch and his finishing is poor and Alexis Sanchez still isnt doing enough.West Brom may be safe but Tony Pulis wont do Arsenal any favours. The Emirates isnt a difficult place to go any more, because you know you can sit in and youll get chances.Arsenal are in a really dangerous situation, with United potentially just a point behind by this stage. Ill start on the edge of my seat and end the game hiding behind it, with another seriously uncomfortable night, and I think it could be Mohamed Elneny - one of the few impressive players - to save Arsenal.Charlie predicts: 1-0 and Elneny to score first - 80/1 with Sky BetCharlies earlier predictions...Liverpool v EvertonWhat do Everton do here? Do they go full strength or just rest up and take the hit? I dont think Roberto Martinez can afford to give Liverpool a free swing at this. Liverpool could turn them over quite badly and the Everton fans have already started to turn on their manager and theyre fed up with his excuses. Putting all your eggs in the FA Cup basket is dangerous, especially as its not going to help their confidence against Manchester Uniteed if they go into the semi-final on the back of a hiding from their rivals.dddddddddddd For me, he has to go for the strongest team and, while I think Liverpool will win regardless with the way Jurgen Klopps men are playing, it could be three or four if Martinez plays a weakened team. If I offered him a draw right now, Id have no fingers left.Charlie predicted: 2-1 and Divock Origi to score first - Result: 4-0West Ham v WatfordI still think theres a bit of life in West Ham, even though the top four has gone for them, and they still have a lot more incentive to win here than their visitors.I know theyve been getting the bad luck with the referees calls but they always seem to get into a position where they can take advantage of others slip-ups and they stumble. Its as if theres a mental block and that has hurt them.Watford have more than done enough in the league and with an FA Cup semi-final coming up, theyve lost an edge. Odion Ighalos goals have dried up. It will be an emotional final few games at Upton Park and that will keep driving West Ham on.Charlie predicted: 2-0 and Manuel Lanzini to score first - Result: 3-1Manchester United v Crystal PalacePalace have done well after slipping towards danger, grabbing another big draw at the Emirates and, while everyone at the club is saying theyre not quite there, I dont see any of the bottom three catching them now.United were really poor at the weekend, which was strange because of the improvements theyve made and again, its Marcus Rashford that gets them out of it. Villa were waiting to get battered and looked surprised when they realised they could have got something.Louis van Gaal has to play Antony Martial and Rashford and Id back them both to score if he does, but Im not expecting them to run riot.Charlie predicted: 2-1 - Result: 2-0 Also See: Sky Live: Liverpool v Everton Merse predicts seven in six Table Live on Sky ' ' '