KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brandon Moss did not want to see the numbers next to his name, so he refused to peek.

Moss hit two home runs and Lorenzo Cain drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Kansas City Royals beat the Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Thursday night.

The Royals rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 for their 32nd comeback victory. They snapped a three-game losing streak.

Moss homered in the fifth off Yovani Gallardo after Mike Moustakas had walked. That snapped a four-game homer-less skid for the Royals, which matched their longest drought of the season.

Moss also homered in eighth off Emilo Pagan for his 11th career multi-homer game. He is hitting .210 with 14 home runs and 28 RBI.

“A few weeks ago, I stopped looking up at the scoreboard every single time I went up there and worrying about what the numbers looked like,” Moss said. “They are what they are. It’s not the end of the season, so you can turn them around, but you’re not going to turn them around stressing about them.”

Moss is hitting .356 with four doubles, five home runs and 12 RBI in his past 12 home games.

“I love hitting at this ballpark and the numbers back that up,” Moss said.

Pagan (0-2) took the loss, giving up two runs, one unearned, in the seventh. Alcides Escobar led off the inning with a single and Alex Gordon moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt.

Whit Merrifield reached on a fielding error by first baseman Danny Valencia. Cain punched a single to right to score Escobar and Cabrera singled home Merrifield.

Ryan Buchter (1-0), the fourth of six Kansas City pitchers, threw one pitch to retire Kyle Seager to end the seventh and picked up the victory.

Kelvin Herrera worked the ninth to log his 24th save in 27 chances. He yielded a run on Robinson Cano’s two-out single.

Seager and Valencia hit solo home runs for the Mariners. Guillermo Heredia’s sixth-inning single scored Valencia, who led off the inning with a double.

“We really needed that big two-out hit earlier in the game to get you over the hump and stretch out the lead a little bit,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We didn’t get that. We felt the momentum was still on our side, but look up at the scoreboard and it was still 2-0 and they could tie it with one swing of the bat.”

Trevor Cahill, who the Royals picked up in a July 24 deal with the San Diego Padres, allowed two runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision.

“I actually felt a lot more comfortable than I thought,” Cahill said of his first Kauffman Stadium start as a Royal. “I’ve been pitching for a long time. I felt pretty normal. It seemed like a pretty exciting atmosphere, so it was all fun.”

Mariners starter Yovani Gallardo was removed after five-plus innings.

“I was getting early contact the first five innings except for that pitch to Moss,” Gallardo said. “Just a curveball was up in the zone and he just took advantage of it. I made a mistake up in the zone.”

DYSON RETURNS

Jarrod Dyson, who was the Royals’ 2006 50th-round draft pick and played a key role on their 2014-15 World Series teams, was back at Kauffman Stadium for the first time as a visitor. The Royals traded him to the Mariners in January. “It’s kind of weird being on the other side, in the visitor’s locker room, but coming back is home for me, you know,” Dyson said. “The only team I’ve ever been with. And I had some good memories here, some fun times.” Dyson tipped his batting helmet to a standing ovation before singling in the second inning.

YOST TOSSED AGAIN
Royals manager Ned Yost was ejected for the second straight game. Yost protested when a crew chief review failed to overturn Valencia’s fourth-inning home run and was run by plate umpire Larry Vanover. Yost was ejected in the ninth inning Wednesday in Baltimore. Yost has 42 career ejections, but this was the first time they were back-to-back.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: OF Mitch Haniger remains on the disabled list with a concussion and facial lacerations after being hit by a pitch. “The swelling is almost all down,” Servais said. “He needs to get clearance from the doctor to start lifting and working out a little bit, which he’s hoping to get today or tomorrow.”

Royals: Cain was back in the lineup after not playing Wednesday because of a sore hamstring.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP James Paxton, who went 6-0 with a 1.37 ERA in July, will start the second game of this series.

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel will face Seattle for the first time since 2014.

— Associated Press —

BALTIMORE (AP) — The two newest members of the Baltimore Orioles did exactly what they were brought in to do: help the team win.

Baltimore fans can only hope Jeremy Hellickson and Tim Beckham do that consistently enough to carry the Orioles into the postseason.

Hellickson threw seven outstanding innings in his Baltimore debut, Beckham had two extra-base hits and two RBI and the Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 6-0 Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep.

The Orioles’ five-game winning streak is their longest since early May, and they now stand just 2 1/2 games behind Kansas City for the second AL wild-card slot.

Hellickson (1-0) was obtained Saturday from Philadelphia, the first of two significant trades by the Orioles to fortify the roster for a potential playoff run. The right-hander paid immediate returns, limiting Kansas City to five hits, issuing one walk and allowing only one runner to reach third base.

“I’ve been traded before, just not in season to a team that is playing as well as we are, that has a chance to make the playoffs,” Hellickson said. “It’s always good to throw a good one your first time out with a new team.”

After going 6-5 with the Phillies, Hellickson turned in his best performance of the season to earn his second win in 12 starts since May 19.

He received offensive backing from Beckham, acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay on Monday just before the non-waiver trade deadline expired.

“I’m happy to be here, happy they believe in me,” the shortstop said. “We got a great club here, man, great club, love the energy, love the team camaraderie. It’s going to be a fun ride.”

The Royals had won 10 of 11 before coming up flat at Camden Yards, scoring only three runs in 27 innings.

“We definitely didn’t hit the ball well in this series,” said Mike Moustakas, who came in with 30 home runs. “They pitched the ball great and we just didn’t have any offense going.”

The Royals showed their frustration in the ninth inning, when Moustakas was tossed after complaining about a third-strike call and manager Ned Yost was ejected for joining the argument.

“That pitch was nowhere close to being a strike,” Yost insisted.

Baltimore went up 3-0 in the second inning against Jason Vargas (13-5) when Beckham doubled in a run and Caleb Joseph followed with a two-out drive into the left-field seats.

After Hellickson retired the first two batters in the third, a sudden rain shower forced a 35-minute delay. When play resumed, Hellickson gave up a single and hit a batter before retiring Eric Hosmer on a fly ball.

It would be the only time until the sixth inning that Kansas City got a runner to second base.

In the sixth, Melky Cabrera drew a leadoff walk and went to third on a double by Hosmer. Hellickson then caught a popup by Salvador Perez, struck out Moustakas and retired Jorge Bonifacio on a weak grounder to first.

Baltimore made it 6-0 in the eighth when Chris Davis doubled in two runs and scored on a triple by Beckham .

HOUSE OF PAIN

Kansas City was swept in three games at Camden Yards last year, too, and has dropped seven straight in Baltimore since Aug. 26, 2015.

MUST BE THE SHOES

After being traded from Tampa Bay to Baltimore, Beckham had to be fitted for a uniform Tuesday. His shoes, however, were already taken care of.

“It’s funny. I don’t care how many times a guy gets moved, the shoe company will catch up with him,” manager Buck Showalter said. “There were about four or five boxes there, and I’m thinking, `Wow, that’s pretty quick.’ God forbid, you go out there in blue shoes on an orange and black team.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: CF Lorenzo Cain was excluded from the starting lineup after tweaking his hamstring running for a ball in the gap Tuesday night.

Orioles: INF Ryan Flaherty (shoulder) went 2 for 4 with a walk for Class A Frederick against Myrtle Beach on Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Trevor Cahill makes his second start since being acquired in a July 23 trade with San Diego, facing Seattle at home Thursday night. He allowed five runs over four innings in his debut vs. Boston last Saturday.

Orioles: Chris Tillman (1-6, 7.65) helps open a four-game series against the visiting Detroit Tigers. He’s winless in 13 consecutive starts.

— Associated Press —

BALTIMORE (AP) — Maybe the Baltimore Orioles got this trade deadline thing right, after all.

Dylan Bundy allowed three hits over a career-high eight innings, newcomer Tim Beckham had two hits and scored twice and the resurgent Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 7-2 Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory.

The winning streak began over the weekend and gained momentum late Monday after the front office decided to be buyers at the non-waiver trade deadline, obtaining Beckham from Tampa Bay for a minor league pitcher.

The acquisition of Beckham followed the trade for right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who will start Wednesday night. Although the Orioles still have some distance to make up in the AL East and the wild-card race, they’re within two games of .500 (52-54) for the first time since July 3.

“A couple more days and I might start looking at the standings again,” manager Buck Showalter said. “So, we’ll see. So far so good. Until we take care of our business, it doesn’t matter where we are in the standings.”

If Baltimore is to make a serious move, it will need more pitching performances like the one it got from Bundy (10-8). The right-hander struck out five, walked one and retired the last 13 batters he faced.

Bundy did not pitch more than seven innings in any of his previous 34 major league starts. All three hits he allowed were singles — none after the third inning — and the only run he surrendered was unearned.

“Dylan was outstanding,” Showalter said. “That was fun to watch.”

Seth Smith drove in three runs and Manny Machado had three hits for the Orioles, who pulled within 3 1/2 games of the Royals for the final AL wild-card spot.

Kansas City will seek to avoid a three-game sweep on Wednesday. The Royals came to town having won 10 of 11, but they’ve only scored three runs in these two games at Camden Yards.

“We have to do a better job of getting pitches in the zone and capitalizing,” said Whit Merrifield, who had one of KC’s two RBI .

Ian Kennedy (4-7) gave up four runs and eight hits in four-plus innings. He was 4-0 in nine starts since June 5.

“The down-and-away fastball was not working and I had to go to something else and try to get outs,” Kennedy said. “What really hurt me was getting deep in counts.”

Making his debut with Baltimore on Tuesday after playing his first 238 major league games with the Rays, Beckham singled and scored in the fifth inning and doubled in the seventh before coming home on a single by Smith.

Baltimore took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, bunching together four straight hits — including an RBI single by Jonathan Schoop and a run-scoring double by rookie Trey Mancini .

After Kansas City scored in the third, Adam Jones made it 3-1 in the fourth with a two-out RBI single.

BUCK AND EARL

The victory was the 1,481st of Showalter’s career, pushing him into sole possession of 24th place on the all-time list ahead of former Orioles manager Earl Weaver.

CASH CONSIDERATIONS

Playing in his second game for KC since being traded from the White Sox, Melky Cabrera went 1 for 4. Chicago will send $2,663,934 to the Royals on Sept. 1, covering a little more than half the $5,081,967 remaining in Cabrera’s $15 million salary this year.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: INF Cheslor Cuthbert (left wrist sprain) resumed his rehabilitation assignment Tuesday, going 1 for 5 with a solo home run for Triple-A Omaha while playing the full game at third base. It was Cuthbert’s first action since July 25. In 10 games at Omaha, Cuthbert is hitting .211 with two homers and four RBI.

Orioles: An MRI on Mark Trumbo’s oblique strain provided “very positive news,” Showalter said, adding that the slugger might be ready to come off the DL after a 10-day stay.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Jason Vargas (13-4, 3.00 ERA), who has not lost in his last five road starts, pitches Wednesday night in the series finale.

Orioles: Hellickson makes his Orioles debut after being traded from Philadelphia. He’s 3-2 with a 5.01 ERA in nine career appearances at Camden Yards.

— Associated Press —