Seven-run sixth inning sends Royals past Orioles
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
BALTIMORE | Just when it seemed the Royals were about to prompt an EPA investigation Thursday night for wasting a rare homer by Tony Peña, they flattened the Baltimore Orioles with a seven-run sixth inning and took a 10-7 victory at Camden Yards.
Really.
All of it.
Peña hit a homer, his first since last Sept. 25, and the Royals did score seven runs in the sixth inning. That funneled the game to Ron Mahay and Joakim Soria in the late innings.
The Royals can’t ask for more than that.
“When we get to those two guys,” designated hitter Billy Butler said, “we know we’re having a good night.”
The seven-run inning was the Royals’ biggest since scoring eight times in the second inning on June 14, 2007, in a 17-8 victory over the Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals haven’t scored seven in one inning on the road since Sept. 30, 2006, at Detroit in the first inning of a 9-6 victory.
“It was just one of those innings when everyone was just feeding off each other,” outfielder David DeJesus said. “Nobody wanted to make an out in that inning. It was just base-knock, base-knock, base-knock. Keep moving them. Keep moving them. We found the holes.”
The comeback allowed reliever Joel Peralta, 1-2, to gain his first victory since May 20, 2007. He pitched two scoreless innings after replacing ineffective Kyle Davies before Mahay and Soria did their stuff.
“Most of the time when I come in, it’s like that,” Peralta said. “Your job is just to try to not let them score any more runs. When we came back, I felt like I’d finally helped our team to win a game.”
Mahay retired six straight hitters in the seventh and eighth before the Mexicutioner worked a one-two-three ninth for his 23rd save in 24 opportunities. That secured a split for the Royals in the four-game series.
Adam Loewen, 0-2, got the loss; he faced three batters and gave up three hits in the sixth. It was the biggest inning of the season against the Orioles.
“We gave them an opening,” Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said, “with a leadoff walk and an error, and they made us pay for it.”
Mark Grudzielanek led a 13-hit attack with a double and three singles for his second four-hit game in five days. He now needs just eight hits to reach 2,000 for his career. José Guillen had two hits and his three RBIs boosted his season total to 64 — or two more than Emil Brown’s 2007 club-leading total.
Butler hit his first homer since April 14 and, yes, Peña had two hits, including that homer. DeJesus also extended his hitting streak to 15 games, which matches a career best.
There needed to be lots of offense because Davies took a step back to his inconsistent past. He breezed through the Orioles for three innings before unraveling in a five-run fourth.
Davies exited in the fifth without getting an out and the Orioles leading 7-3. His final toll was seven runs and eight hits in four-plus innings — and a Houdini-esque no-decision.
“It’s one of those times when you feel like you let the team down,” Davies said. “Then they come back and pick you up. After that, our bullpen did a great job. And we won.”
The Royals built a 3-0 lead against Orioles starter Garrett Olson on Butler’s leadoff homer in the second and Peña’s leadoff homer in a two-run third.
Peña’s homer came in his first at-bat since June 24 and was his first extra-base hit since May 14. He only drew a starting assignment because the slumping Mike Aviles got the night off.
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To reach Bob Dutton, Royals reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4352 or send e-mail to bdutton@kcstar.com
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