Twins 2 Royals 0

Saturday, September 4th 2004, 11:21 am

By: News On 6

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ Johan (YOH'-hahn) Santana took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and won his ninth straight start pitching the Minnesota Twins over the Kansas City Royals 2-to-0.

Santana had not allowed a hit until Desi Relaford lined a clean single to left leading off the seventh. Santana, who is 16-and-6, gave up one hit and a walk and struck out eleven over seven innings. J-C Romero worked the eighth to extend his club-record scoreless streak to 32 and a-third innings and Joe Nathan threw a perfect ninth to finish the two-hitter and notch his 38th save.

Torii Hunter and Justin Morneau hit back-to-back homers in the sixth for the Twins, who are 29-and-18 since the All-Star break.

Darrell May suffered his major league-leading 16th loss to go along with nine wins.