KANSAS CITY -- Royals corner infielder Cheslor Cuthbert continues his remarkable career rebirth.

After a strong 2016 season (.274 average, 12 home runs) filling in for the injured Mike Moustakas, Cuthbert’s career was derailed by poor performance and injuries to the point that he was designated for assignment last offseason. The Royals are glad they signed him.

Cuthbert homered, doubled and singled, and drove in four runs on Friday night. But it wasn’t enough as the bullpen coughed up a three-run lead late in an 8-7 loss to the Twins at Kauffman Stadium.

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In 19 games this season since being brought up from Triple-A Omaha, Cuthbert has four doubles, four home runs and 15 RBIs, along with a .307 average.

Cuthbert said he isn’t thinking about the rough last year.

“What happened in the past, I don’t think about that now,” Cuthbert said. “I’m just trying to help the team.”

Two Royals relievers -- Scott Barlow and Jake Diekman -- each came on and did not record an out.

Barlow, with a 6-3 lead, gave up three straight hits, along with a wild pitch, and allowed two runs in the seventh.

“Barlow, [he gave up] three little dumper hits,” manager Ned Yost said. “Wily [Peralta] came in and did a great job. Four of the five runs that they scored late against the bullpen came on two strikes. We just couldn’t put them away.

“We’d make pitches and couldn’t put them away. That was the case for Barlow -- two-strike slider, just dumped it into center, two-strike curveball, dumped it into center, two-strike fastball that Nelson Cruz just pushed it right down the line, didn’t hit it hard.” 

Trying to protect a 6-5 lead in the eighth, Diekman gave up a home run to struggling Miguel Sano, a towering blast to the opposite field in right on a 3-2 fastball that was elevated.

“Gave up the leadoff homer and then I just couldn’t throw a slider worth anything,” Diekman said. “It’s like the one [Mitch] Garver hit in Minnesota. Almost the same pitch.”

Diekman then walked the next hitter before allowing two straight hits and the Twins held a 7-6 lead before he exited with two runners in scoring position. Another run scored when reliever Jorge Lopez gave up a two-out RBI single to Eddie Rosario.

“If you give up a homer in that spot, you can’t give up a free pass after that,” Diekman said. 

Royals starter Jakob Junis had a rough start -- the Twins’ first five hitters averaged 104 mph in exit velocity, though they had just one hit and didn’t score.

“They hit some balls hard early on and fortunately they were right at people,” Junis said. “Then, they got some soft hits later, infield hits, so it kind of evened out.”

Yost, though, disagreed that Junis struggled early on.

“He didn’t have a rough start,” Yost said. “One guy got on, and he got three other outs. I don’t care if he gives up 19 hard-hit outs. They’re outs. I want outs. I need outs. I don’t care how they are. An out’s an out. I’d rather have a hard-hit out than one of them little dumpers that they put out there in the seventh inning.”

Yet Junis managed to grind through six innings and gave up just two earned runs. He allowed six hits, walked two and struck out eight.