KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Ricky Bottalico seems to be doing all he can to make Kansas City fans long for the bullpen of 1999.

The right-handed closer, signed to turn around the worst relief corps in the major leagues, made his second straight shaky appearance Monday, giving up a two-run homer in the ninth that let Minnesota tie the game at 5.

Then, Johnny Damon led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run that lifted the Royals to a 6-5 victory.

"He made a mistake with a breaking ball and that's what happens with breaking balls that are left up and out over the plate," said manager Tony Muser, who brought in Bottalico even though Dan Reichert looked very sharp in a scoreless seventh and eighth.

Bottalico (1-0) gave up the game's 10th double, to Corey Koskie, before Jacque Jones homered over the fence in center. In his first appearance of the year at Toronto, Bottalico got a save after allowing a home run to Tony Batista and leaving the potential tying run at third.

"That's two games in a row I felt great going out there, and felt like I had good stuff, and I've given up three runs in two innings," Bottalico said.

He rebounded from elbow surgery to convert 20 of 28 chances last year with St. Louis.

"You don't know what to say. I feel like I have good stuff this year," he said. "I feel healthy. But nothing's going right right now. I'll get it down."

A year ago, the Royals' bullpen had an ERA over 5 and blew more saves than it converted.

"Everybody's going to be negative on Bottalico," Muser said. "We signed him as the closer, and he's going to get an opportunity to close and see how far we can bring him."

Damon, who struck out feebly on three pitches from LaTroy Hawkins (0-1) in the sixth, hit Hawkins' 2-1 pitch over the fence for the game-winner.

"He made me look silly," Damon said. "I got my revenge, but I know he'll be ready for me next time. I was looking for the ball down because he kept it down on me pretty good the time before. But he left one up and I hit it pretty good."

Hawkins allowed two runs and three hits in 2 2/3 innings.

"I gave up a home run and lost the game," a grim Hawkins said. "That's it. End of discussion."

Jose Rosado allowed three runs and five hits in six innings, and Reichert struck out four in the next two innings. Minnesota starter Sean Bergman gave up four runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings

Damon doubled leading off the game and scored one out later on Carlos Beltran's infield out.

Koskie's RBI grounder tied it in the second, but the Royals went back ahead in the third on Beltran's RBI single and made it 3-1 in the fourth when Joe Randa scored from third on Bergman's wild pitch.

Minnesota tied the score again in the sixth when Matt Lawton doubled home Cristian Guzman and scored on Ron Coomer's double.

Johnson singled home a run in the bottom half after Mark Quinn's double, and Randa and Quinn hit consecutive eighth-inning doubles off Hawkins to make it 5-3.

Minnesota kept it close by turning inning-ending double plays in the second, third, fourth and eighth innings.

Dave McCarty, installed at first for defensive purposes, dropped the throw from shortstop Jeff Reboulet and let Guzman reach leading off the eighth. But Guzman tried for second and was thrown out.

"To drop a ball like that at first and still get an out, we were very, very lucky," Muser said. "That was a turning point in this game."

Game notes
The Twins' infield was particularly sharp in the second. Second baseman Jason Maxwell made a diving stop of Randa's smash behind the bag and flipped to Guzman, playing shortstop, for a forceout. Then Guzman made a good play on Quinn's grounder and teamed with Maxwell for a nifty 6-4-3 double play. ... Beltran made an outstanding running catch of Koskie's drive to center in the fifth. ... The Royals have allowed 18 homers, an AL high. ... The 10 doubles were one short of the combined record in a Royals game.