There is no Governor's Cup for the annual I-70 Series and, for the first time since 2001, the Royals have reason to regret it.</p><p> The Royals clinched the state championship Friday night with a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the first of three weekend games at Kauffman Stadium. The victory follows their three-game sweep earlier this month at Busch Stadium.</p><p> It also extended the Royals’ overall winning streak to six in a row, their longest since opening the 2003 season with nine straight victories.</p><p> Alex Gordon and David DeJesus provided most of the offense. Gordon matched a career high with four RBIs. He had a three-run double in a four-run second inning and a leadoff homer in the fifth. Both came against Cardinals starter Joel Pineiro.</p><p> DeJesus extended his hitting streak to 12 games by going three for five. His two-run double in the eighth against reliever Ron Villone allowed the Royals to rest closer Joakim Soria for another day.</p><p> Gordon had four RBIs last season on two occasions, but both came on the road -- June 26 against the Angels and Sept. 3 against the Rangers.</p><p> Gil Meche won his third straight start and improved to 6-8. He lowered his ERA 4.66 by delivering a fourth successive quality start in limiting the Cardinals to one run and six hits in seven innings.</p><p> Meche carried a shutout into the seventh before Troy Glaus opened the inning with a homer. Even so, he handed a 5-1 lead to Ron Mahay to start the eighth.</p><p> Mahay retired the first hitter before working himself into a jam on a single by Ryan Ludwick and a walk to Albert Pujols.</p><p> Rick Ankiel flied out, but Glaus produced his second RBI of the game by whacking a single into center.</p><p> It was the first run scored against Mahay in nine appearances, cut the lead to 5-2 and brought the tying run to the plate. When the Cardinals sent Nick Stavinoha up as a pinch-hitter for Chris Duncan, the Royals countered by bringing in Ramon Ramirez.</p><p> Stavinoha struck out.</p><p> Joel Peralta closed out the victory with a scoreless ninth.</p><p> Pineiro, 2-4, gave up seven runs and 10 hits in 7 2/3 innings. It was 5-2 when he exited with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth. DeJesus sliced his two-run double to left against Villone.</p><p> The Royals, 37-43, continued their torrid run through interleague play, which concludes this weekend. They improved to 13-3 against NL opponents after never winning more than 10 games since interleague play began in 1997.</p><p> Meche pitched out of a jam in the first thanks to two nice defensive plays after Skip Schumaker opened the game with a single. Right fielder Mark Teahen made a leaping catch at the wall on Pujols’ one-out drive.</p><p> Schumaker went to third on Ankiel’s double into the right-field corner, but Meche stranded both runners when catcher John Buck climbed the batboys’ two folding chairs near the Royals’ dugout to snag Glaus’ foul pop.</p><p> The Royals mounted their own threat in the first against Pineiro. Mike Aviles reached on an error by second baseman Adam Kennedy before Pineiro walked Gordon and hit José Guillen.</p><p> Mark Grudzielanek grounded into an inning-ending double play.</p><p> The Royals stirred again in the second inning after Buck’s one-out double. Buck went to third on Ross Gload’s single to left and scored on Joey Gathright’s squib single to short. Another single, by DeJesus, loaded the bases.</p><p> Piniero struck out Aviles, but Gordon lashed a 2-2 changeup into right field for a three-run double and a 4-0 lead.</p><p> The Royals extended their lead to 5-0 when Gordon led off the fifth with a 416-foot homer over the center-field wall. Again it came on a 2-2 pitch; a fastball this time.