Davis Hits 42nd Homer, O's Beat Royals 8-2
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Chris Davis hit his league-leading 42nd home run, Jonathan Schoop added a pair of solo shots and the Baltimore Orioles took the three-game series against the Kansas City Royals with an 8-2 victory Sunday night.
The Orioles have won four of their past five as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Royals lost seven of nine and dropped their third straight series for the first time this season.
Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (9-7) kept the Royals off-balance with his slider and changeup. He allowed two runs on six hits with two strikeouts over seven innings.
Schoop had three hits and has 14 home runs on the season. Adam Jones had two hits, including his 27th homer, with four RBIs.
Royals right-hander Johnny Cueto (2-6) lost his fifth straight start. He allowed a season-high eight runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts and one walk over 6 1-3 innings. He tied a career-high by allowing four homers and has given up 28 runs over his past 26 1-3 innings.
Cueto's struggles began in the first when Manny Machado walked and Chris Davis singled before Jones delivered a towering 450-foot shot to center. The Royals pulled to within 3-2 in the second when Salvador Perez and Alex Rios hit a pair of two-out doubles followed by a single by Alcides Escobar.
Schoop responded by delivering solo homers in the second and fourth innings to boost Baltimore's margin to 5-2. Cueto has given up three home runs in a game twice this season--both times against the Orioles.
Davis added the fourth homer against Cueto with another solo shot in the sixth and Baltimore led 6-2. Meanwhile, Chen retired 10 in a row before allowing a double to Perez in the seventh.
The Orioles added a seventh run that inning on a fielder's choice by Machado that ended Cueto's night. Louis Coleman entered and allowed an RBI-single to Jones.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals: Right-hander Louis Coleman left with two outs in the eighth with an undisclosed injury.
Orioles: C Matt Wieters was behind the plate for the second straight night after missing the previous two games with a sore left wrist. It was just the third time this season Wieters caught back-to-back games.
ON DECK
Royals: Edinson Volquez opens the four-game series Monday at Cleveland looking to extend his team-leading 13 wins. The right-hander also has a 3.49 ERA with 130 strikeouts over 29 starts.
Orioles: Right-hander Kevin Gausman faces Boston's Eduardo Rodriguez in the series opener between the AL East foes. Gausman is looking for his first victory since Aug. 1.
(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
