MINNEAPOLIS— Alex Gordon clubbed a three-run homer and Edinson Volquez fired seven strong innings as the Royals rolled to a 7-2 win over the Twins on Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep at Target Field.

The Twins came into the series with a one-game lead in the AL Central, but now trail the Royals by two games. The Royals came into this series having lost nine of 12.

“We kind of expected that once we got out of the slump we could get on a roll again,” manager Ned Yost said.

Gordon’s homer, his seventh, capped a four-run first for the Royals off starter Kyle Gibson.

Gibson labored through six innings, giving up five hits and four earned runs while walking two and striking out six. He threw 117 pitches.

Volquez gave up six hits and one earned run, while helping preserve a tired bullpen that was without Wade Davis and Greg Holland. Volquez walked three and struck out six.

“I had a good fastball early and late, but kind of lost it in the middle,” Volquez said. “But my changeup saved me there in the fifth and sixth.”

Minnesota’s Torii Hunter was ejected for arguing after being called out on strikes by home-plate umpire Mark Ripperger in the eighth. It was the ninth career ejection for Hunter, who then proceeded to fire his batting gloves and jersey onto the field. Manager Paul Molitor also was ejected, his first as a skipper.

“I thought the last pitch he called a strike was revenge because I said something the pitch before that,” Hunter said of Ripperger. “We have bad days, all of us. As hitters, pitchers, even umpires have bad days, and he had one.”

Molitor said he told Ripperger that he “had a bad night.”

“I thought they were cheering that I was arguing for a change, but when I turned around, I saw the jersey coming off and then I realized that Torii hadn’t quite reached the end of his whatever you want to call it,” Molitor said.

Gordon said of Hunter, “Everybody loves and respects Torii in our clubhouse. Maybe he was just trying to fire everyone up.”

Added Yost, “A lot of times you just see yelling and screaming. This time we got a little striptease.”