Pablo López throws a shutout as the Twins beat the Royals

MINNEAPOLIS — Pablo Lopez pitched his first career complete game, a four-hitter with a career-high 12 strikeouts, as the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0 Wednesday night.

Lopez (5-5) retired 15 batters in a row between the third and eighth innings, including an extension of hitting him with six straight. The Twins completed the sweep in a three-game series.

The right-hander, who came to Minnesota from Miami in a trade for all-time hitting leader Luis Aries, recorded the second shutout by a Twins player in less than two weeks. Joe Ryan scored the club’s first goal in five years.

Lopez allowed two doubles and two walks in his first smooth outing since his win over the Royals on Opening Day. After a quick 1-2-3 in the ninth, Lopez received a cold shower and changed into the team’s catcher’s jacket to celebrate a home run in the dugout.

For the Royals, Venezuelans Mikel Garcia 4-1, Salvador Perez 3-0.

For the Twins, Puerto Rican Carlos Correa hit it 2-0 in one run, Willy Castro 2-0. Colombian Donovan Solano 4-1 batch.