Eric Hosmer knew his line drive was in the left-center gap Saturday night with the game tied in the 10th inning. So at that point, he turned into a cheerleader as pinch-runner Mike Aviles wheeled around the bases. With Mikey on first, Hosmer said, I was just yelling for him to run. I saw he got a good jump off the bat. Aviles scored easily, as it turned out, and capped an improbable comeback/escape/celebration by the Royals in a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium. It was, manager Ned Yost admitted, probably as excited as Ive been for a win all year long. Oh, yes, it was amazing stuff beyond being the Royals 11th walk-off victory of the season and enabling them to match a season high with their fourth straight victory. Hosmers drive came against reliever Brandon Gomes, 0-1, after Billy Butler opened the inning with a single to right. Aviles replaced Butler as a pinch-runner, and that speed made a difference. Its a weapon the Royals didnt have on the bench prior to Aviles return last week from the minors following a space-clearing trade that sent veteran Wilson Betemit to Detroit. That was just the closing act, though. The Royals forced extra innings on Alex Gordons two-out RBI double in the ninth inning against ex-teammate Kyle Farnsworth. Joakim Soria, 5-3, then escaped a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the 10th inning. As good as that was with Hos, right fielder Jeff Francoeur said, the two guys for me are Gordo and Jack doing what he did. That was impressive. If (Soria) doesnt block that ball from (Casey) Kotchman with the infield in, its two runs. Right lets reset to the top of the 10th inning. Aaron Crow started inning by walking Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton. That brought Soria into the game to face pinch-hitter Matt Joyce, who lined a single to left and that loaded the bases with no outs and forced the Royals to shorten their infield. Kotchmans sharp liner back to the mound initially handcuffed Soria, but he recovered in time to get the force at the plate. The ball hit me in the leg, Soria said. I never got it in my glove. He hit the ball well, and I was lucky I got it right there between my legs so I could get the out at home. Soria then stranded all three runners by striking out pinch-hitter Sam Fuld and Elliott Johnson. Thats why Jacks so great, Yost said. He doesnt get flustered. He doesnt panic. He just continues to make pitches, and he got us out of it and put us in a spot where we could win it in the bottom half. Butler opened the Royals 10th by punching Gomes first pitch into right for a single. Hosmer then rammed Gomes next pitch into the gap. Aviles scored, and the bench emptied in a flood that mobbed Hosmer at second base. The one to Butler was up a little, Gomes said, but the one to Hosmer was down and away where I wanted it. He just put a pretty good swing on it. All of that came after Gordons two-out double in the ninth inning plugged the right-center gap and scored Alcides Escobar from first. That snatched a victory away from Tampa Bay starter Jeff Niemann, who gave up three runs in six innings. Ex-Royals reliever Joel Peralta inherited a 4-3 lead to start the seventh. He retired four straight hitters, three on strikes, before the Rays summoned J.P. Howell, another ex-Royal, who closed out the eighth. So when Farnsworth, still another ex-Royal, took over in the ninth, the Royals were staring at an evening offering all of the charm of sitting home dateless on a Saturday while a bunch of your exes party the night away. That changed just in time. Farnsworth issued a one-out walk to Chris Getz before Escobars grounder resulted in a force at second. Gordon then whacked a double that stuck Farnsworth with his fourth blown save in 23 chances. He looked a little different, Gordon said, because he was throwing a lot of cutters. The first pitch was his usual 96(-mph) heater. But I saw those cutters (hed thrown to other hitters). Thats what I was looking for. The Rays had the outfield positioned deep in a no-doubles alignment, but Gordon still split the right-center gap, which allowed Escobar to score the tying run from first and force extra innings. Royals starter Jeff Francis escaped with a no-decision after limiting damage to three runs in five innings despite allowing nine hits. He stranded seven runners. Even so, he is now winless in seven starts since June 10. He wasnt very sharp, Yost said. Got his pitch count up real quick. But that game easily could have gotten out of hand. It could have been 7-2 after five. It was 3-2. Tampa Bay added another run in the sixth against Greg Holland after Desmond Jennings drew a two-out walk. Johnny Damon, another ex-Royal, followed with a hard grounder past Getz that turned into an RBI double. The Royals answered in their sixth against Niemann after Hosmer led off with a single and moved to third on Francoeurs line-hugging bloop double to left. Moustakas got his third RBI of the game a breakout game, perhaps with a sacrifice fly. But Niemann stranded the tying run at third by retiring Brayan Peña and Getz. It stayed 4-3 until Gordons double in the ninth. It just shows what the leaders of the team can do, Hosmer said. Gordo tying it up; and Soria coming in in that situation; and Billy starting it off there. For every good team, thats what you need. They stepped up tonight.

KansasCity.com

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Royals rally for 5-4 victory over Rays in 10 innings

By BOB DUTTON

The Kansas City Star

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“With Mikey on first,” Hosmer said, “I was just yelling for him to run. I saw he got a good jump off the bat.”

Aviles scored easily, as it turned out, and capped an improbable comeback/escape/celebration by the Royals in a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium.

“It was,” manager Ned Yost admitted, “probably as excited as I’ve been for a win all year long.”

Oh, yes, it was amazing stuff beyond being the Royals’ 11th walk-off victory of the season and enabling them to match a season high with their fourth straight victory.

Hosmer’s drive came against reliever Brandon Gomes, 0-1, after Billy Butler opened the inning with a single to right. Aviles replaced Butler as a pinch-runner, and that speed made a difference.

It’s a weapon the Royals didn’t have on the bench prior to Aviles’ return last week from the minors following a space-clearing trade that sent veteran Wilson Betemit to Detroit.

That was just the closing act, though.

The Royals forced extra innings on Alex Gordon’s two-out RBI double in the ninth inning against ex-teammate Kyle Farnsworth. Joakim Soria, 5-3, then escaped a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the 10th inning.

“As good as that was with Hos,” right fielder Jeff Francoeur said, “the two guys for me are Gordo and Jack doing what he did. That was impressive. If (Soria) doesn’t block that ball from (Casey) Kotchman with the infield in, it’s two runs.”

Right … let’s reset to the top of the 10th inning.

Aaron Crow started inning by walking Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton. That brought Soria into the game to face pinch-hitter Matt Joyce, who lined a single to left — and that loaded the bases with no outs and forced the Royals to shorten their infield.

Kotchman’s sharp liner back to the mound initially handcuffed Soria, but he recovered in time to get the force at the plate.

“The ball hit me in the leg,” Soria said. “I never got it in my glove. He hit the ball well, and I was lucky I got it right there between my legs so I could get the out at home.”

Soria then stranded all three runners by striking out pinch-hitter Sam Fuld and Elliott Johnson.

“That’s why Jack’s so great,” Yost said. “He doesn’t get flustered. He doesn’t panic. He just continues to make pitches, and he got us out of it and put us in a spot where we could win it in the bottom half.”

Butler opened the Royals’ 10th by punching Gomes’ first pitch into right for a single. Hosmer then rammed Gomes’ next pitch into the gap. Aviles scored, and the bench emptied in a flood that mobbed Hosmer at second base.

“The one to Butler was up a little,” Gomes said, “but the one to Hosmer was down and away where I wanted it. He just put a pretty good swing on it.”

All of that came after Gordon’s two-out double in the ninth inning plugged the right-center gap and scored Alcides Escobar from first. That snatched a victory away from Tampa Bay starter Jeff Niemann, who gave up three runs in six innings.

Ex-Royals reliever Joel Peralta inherited a 4-3 lead to start the seventh. He retired four straight hitters, three on strikes, before the Rays summoned J.P. Howell, another ex-Royal, who closed out the eighth.

So when Farnsworth, still another ex-Royal, took over in the ninth, the Royals were staring at an evening offering all of the charm of sitting home dateless on a Saturday while a bunch of your exes party the night away.

That changed just in time.

Farnsworth issued a one-out walk to Chris Getz before Escobar’s grounder resulted in a force at second. Gordon then whacked a double that stuck Farnsworth with his fourth blown save in 23 chances.

“He looked a little different,” Gordon said, “because he was throwing a lot of cutters. The first pitch was his usual 96(-mph) heater. But I saw those cutters (he’d thrown to other hitters). That’s what I was looking for.”

The Rays had the outfield positioned deep in a no-doubles alignment, but Gordon still split the right-center gap, which allowed Escobar to score the tying run from first and force extra innings.

Royals starter Jeff Francis escaped with a no-decision after limiting damage to three runs in five innings despite allowing nine hits. He stranded seven runners. Even so, he is now winless in seven starts since June 10.

“He wasn’t very sharp,” Yost said. “Got his pitch count up real quick. But that game easily could have gotten out of hand. It could have been 7-2 after five. It was 3-2.”

Tampa Bay added another run in the sixth against Greg Holland after Desmond Jennings drew a two-out walk. Johnny Damon, another ex-Royal, followed with a hard grounder past Getz that turned into an RBI double.

The Royals answered in their sixth against Niemann after Hosmer led off with a single and moved to third on Francoeur’s line-hugging bloop double to left. Moustakas got his third RBI of the game — a breakout game, perhaps — with a sacrifice fly.

But Niemann stranded the tying run at third by retiring Brayan Peña and Getz. It stayed 4-3 until Gordon’s double in the ninth.

“It just shows what the leaders of the team can do,” Hosmer said. “Gordo tying it up; and Soria coming in in that situation; and Billy starting it off there. For every good team, that’s what you need. They stepped up tonight.”