BALTIMORE — Push general manager Dayton Moore to identify his goals and priorities for the Royals over the season’s closing weeks, and he offers a simple answer:

“I want us, obviously, to win more games,” he said. “The effort of our team is very good. It’s easy to say, ‘starting pitching,’ but that’s not necessarily something we’re going to be able to fix in the final part of the season.”

Moore joined the Royals for Wednesday’s series finale in Chicago, a 2-1 victory, and accompanied the club to Baltimore. It isn’t rare for him to appear on road trips, but it’s not the norm either.

No roster moves appear imminent.

“We just brought up (Francisley) Bueno and (Tony) Abreu,” Moore said. “We want to give them an opportunity to see if they can be a fit going forward. Beyond that, I don’t see anything happening in the next week to 10 days unless there’s some type of injury.”

Moore also downplayed last weekend’s comments by manager Ned Yost regarding the need to change a “losing culture” in the clubhouse.

“We’ve got a lot of young, talented players,” Moore said. “We’ve got a nice culture throughout the organization, but we need to win more games. That’s what I think he’s alluding to. It’s not that we have issues that aren’t fixable.

“The only way you create a winning culture is by winning games. We’ve got a good culture for developing players, but it’s important that we win more games at the major-league level.”

Guthrie’s gem

While Jeremy Guthrie still doesn’t have a shutout in 173 career starts, Wednesday’s 2-1 victory at Chicago marked the fourth time that he’s worked eight or more innings without allowing a run.

Guthrie handed a 2-0 lead Wednesday to Greg Holland, who permitted one run in the ninth before closing out the victory. Manager Ned Yost decided to pull Guthrie after 104 pitches because the Royals only had a 2-0 lead.

Running Royals

Perhaps Usain Bolt and the other Olympic sprinters are inspiring the Royals, who entered Thursday’s series opener against the Orioles with 18 steals in their last 10 games. That was the highest total for any team in either league.

The Royals also entered the series with 22 successful steals in their last 23 attempts. The caught stealing was Alex Gordon on a hit-and-run play Monday in Chicago when Alcides Escobar swung through a pitch.

Overall, the Royals are sixth among American League teams with 83 stolen bases, although they didn't attempt a steal Thursday.

Minor details

Class AA Northwest Arkansas was awarded the 2013 Texas League All-Star Game. It will be June 25 at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Ark.

“This is not only a time-honored tradition for the baseball community,” Naturals general manager Eric Edelstein said, “but it is also a perfect opportunity to showcase the best of the Northwest Arkansas region.”

Looking back

It was 42 years ago Friday – Aug. 10, 1970 – that the Royals Baseball Academy opened in Sarasota, Fla. Owner Ewing Kauffman conceived the idea as a means to develop high-quality athletes into major-league players.

The 121-acre complex cost about $1.5 million and consisted of two buildings and five diamonds. Syd Thrift served as the original director. Rising costs forced a shutdown in May 1974.

Royals Hall of Fame second baseman Frank White and Texas manager Ron Washington are academy graduates.

Etc.

**Gordon regained the major-league lead in doubles by getting his 38th on a two-out drive to right in the sixth inning.

**Billy Butler is 11 for 24 this season against the Orioles with three homers.

**Butler’s homer in the first inning extended his career-best total to 23. He has three homers in his last four games.

**The Royals’ outfield got its 30th assist, which leads the majors, when Gordon threw out Adam Jones at second base in the first inning. Gordon has eight assists after setting a club record last season with 20.