KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Omar Infante led a seven-run charge in the sixth inning to support a strong start by Kris Medlen, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-3 on Monday night.

Despite working on a pitch count, Medlen (2-0) lasted six innings in his first start since Sept. 27, 2013, with Atlanta. The right-hander allowed five hits — one of them a two-run homer by Adam Jones in the first inning — while striking out six without a walk.

Medlen, who returned last month after his second Tommy John surgery, made seven appearances out of the Kansas City bullpen before replacing Jeremy Guthrie in the starting rotation.

Infante followed a tying, two-run homer by Mike Moustakas in the sixth with a two-run triple, then scampered home when the throw to third base skittered away. Lorenzo Cain drove in two more later in the inning, spoiling what had been a promising start by Ubaldo Jimenez.

Jimenez (9-8) allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The loss was the fifth straight for Baltimore and sixth in seven games. It carried a little added sting in that it was the first meeting between the teams since the Royals swept the Orioles in the AL Championship Series on their surprising run to the World Series.

The two-run homer by Jones and a run-scoring double by Steve Clevenger in the fourth inning got the Orioles off to a good start, and Jimenez was cruising through five. The only run he had allowed was on an RBI groundout by Eric Hosmer in the third inning.

Things finally unraveled for Jimenez in the sixth.

Hosmer doubled with one out and Moustakas sent a pitch soaring into the right-field stands to knot the game 3-all. Salvador Perez singled, Alex Rios hit a double and Infante sent a triple into the gap in left-center, sliding into third base ahead of the throw. When it skipped away to the third-base dugout, Infante clambered to his feet and chugged on home.

Alcides Escobar and Ben Zobrist followed with hits before Cain’s two-run double made it a seven-run inning, matching a season best for the Royals.

Medlen’s night was done by that point. He threw 69 pitches, one fewer than manager Ned Yost had said was his limit. Bullpen buddies Franklin Morales and Luke Hochevar did the reset.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: SS J.J. Hardy (groin) went on the DL and INF-OF Steve Pearce (left oblique) was reinstated. … RHP Mike Wright (calf) will start for Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday.

Royals: First base coach Rusty Kuntz was back at work after missing 13 days with a sinus infection and stomach virus. Kuntz said he lost more than 10 pounds during the illness.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Miguel Gonzalez tries to bounce back from an awful start against Minnesota in which he allowed seven runs in five innings of a 15-2 rout.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy has dominated the Orioles in three career outings, going 1-1 with a 1.46 ERA. Last May, he retired the first 20 batters he faced.

— Associated Press —

BOSTON (AP) — Mike Moustakas kept fouling off good pitches. He finally saw one he could handle and didn’t miss it.

Moustakas’ two-run double capped a wild four-run ninth inning that carried the AL Central-leading Kansas City Royals to an 8-6 comeback victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

The Royals had two runners cut down at the plate in the ninth, one trying for an inside-the-park homer, and collected six hits against Boston closer Junichi Tazawa (2-6).

Moustakas capped off a 10-pitch at-bat with his go-ahead hit into the right-center field gap.

“A lot of great at-bats that inning,” Moustakas said. “It ended up coming around to me and I was able to get the job done.”

Moustakas also had a solo homer and RBI double for Kansas City, which salvaged a split of the four-game series.

Boston led 6-4 going into the ninth. After left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. threw out Omar Infante trying for the homer for the first out, Kansas City rallied with four hits, tying it on Eric Hosmer’s two-run single.

“There were some great at-bats,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “It was an awesome ninth inning for us. Just a succession of great at-bat after great at-bat.”

Batting eighth in the final inning, Moustakas knew if he came up, the Royals were likely doing something special.

“I was hoping it would get to me,” he said. “If it gets to me, we’re going to be in pretty good shape.”

Tazawa gave him everything he had.

“He was getting to all the pitches that were borderline,” he said through a translator. “Fouling off a lot of pitches and I was dealing with a slippery ball. Obviously I was trying to get through, but he got the best of me.”

Chris Young (9-6) retired one batter and Wade Davis got the final three outs for his 11th save.

Bradley Jr. had two RBI doubles and a single for the Red Sox, who went 6-4 on a 10-game homestand — all under interim manager Torey Lovullo, who took over for John Farrell on Aug. 14. Farrell took a medical leave for the rest of the season to deal with Stage 1 Lymphoma.

“They hit some good pitches and it was not a typical Taz day,” Lovullo said.

Boston trailed 4-2, but scored twice in both the sixth and seventh.

Royals starter Edinson Volquez gave up six runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Trailing 2-1 in the fourth, the Royals scored twice, taking advantage of two errors on one play. Second baseman Josh Rutledge booted a grounder and center fielder Mookie Betts’ throw bounced into the Royals’ dugout for the first run. Moustakas followed with his RBI double. He homered into the Green Monster seats.

Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez allowed four runs — two earned — in six innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez had the day off. He took a hard foul tip off the mask and one off the right leg Saturday night, but was feeling fine.

Red Sox: Utility infielder Brock Holt was out of the lineup again Sunday. He was set to play Saturday, but was taken out of lineup after batting practice with a strained left oblique. … OF Hanley Ramirez had the day off.

WHAT A THROW

Yost was still praising Bradley’s peg from left-center in the ninth, even saying he wanted third-base coach Mike Jirschele to send Infante.

“I was screaming, ‘Send him,'” he said. “I said, ‘It’s not on you.’ It was just a great throw. He’s got a tremendous arm.”

NAILED AT HOME

Besides Infante, Kendrys Morales was cut down at home 8-4-2 for the final out of the ninth.

RAINY DAY

A light mist started falling early and remained for most of the game.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Kris Medlen (1-0) makes his first start since returning from Tommy John surgery Monday when the Royals host the Baltimore Orioles. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (9-7) is set to start for the Orioles in the first meeting since the Royals swept the ALCS.

Red Sox: Joe Kelly (6-6) looks to win his fifth straight start as Boston faces RHP Jeff Samardzija (8-9) on Monday in the opener of a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox.

— Associated Press —

BOSTON (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer, Yordano Ventura pitched six effective innings and the AL Central-leading Kansas City Royals beat the Red Sox 6-3 Saturday night, ending Boston’s four-game winning streak.

Kendrys Morales added a two-run double and Alex Rios had three singles and an RBI for Kansas City. Following losses the first two nights, the Royals can earn a split of the four-game series Sunday.

Mookie Betts hit a solo homer and David Ortiz had two singles and three walks for the Red Sox. Boston had won four of the five meetings this season, and 10 of 12 since the start of 2014.

Ventura (8-7) gave up one run and six hits, striking out six. He improved to 4-0 in his last six starts. Greg Holland got Travis Shaw to pop out with the bases loaded for final out, earning his 28th save.

Leading 2-0 in the sixth, the Royals chased Matt Barnes (3-4) when Perez homered.

Morales lined his double off the Green Monster in the first.

Ventura stranded five runners in the first four innings before Boston scored on Shaw’s groundout in the sixth. Betts homered over the Monster off Ryan Madson.

Making just his second major league start, Barnes gave up five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: OF Alex Gordon is set to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha Sunday. He’s been on the DL since early July with a strained groin. . C Perez took a foul ball off the mask and was shaken up, but stayed in the game.

Red Sox: Utility player Brock Holt was in the original lineup, but was scratched with a strained left oblique after batting practice. … Ortiz fouled a ball off his right foot in his first at-bat, and limped a bit. … Interim manager Torey Lovullo said RHP Rick Porcello (soreness, right triceps) could return on the upcoming road trip after he said he “felt great” at the end of a rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket Friday.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez (11-7) is scheduled to make his team-leading 26th start in the series finale Sunday. He’s held hitters to a .178 average with runners in scoring position, second best in the AL.

Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (7-5) is looking to follow his solid outing earlier this week. The rookie 22-year-old pitched eight innings of one-run ball, earning the win against Cleveland on Tuesday.

— Associated Press —

BOSTON (AP) — When you’re the defending AL champion and you have a double-digit lead in the division, it’s easy to shrug off a two-game slump.

Johnny Cueto had his worst start since coming to Kansas City, the Royals committed a pair of errors and they managed just four hits against a rookie making his fourth start on Friday as they fell to the Red Sox for the second straight night.

“No aspect of our game was tremendously good tonight,” manager Ned Yost said after the 7-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox. “It’s rare when it happens, but it happens.”

The Royals entered the series against last-place Boston with a 14 1/2-game lead in the division and a five-game winning streak.

Cueto (2-2) had allowed just six runs in four previous starts for the AL Central-leading Royals. He allowed six earned runs and 13 hits on Friday, striking out three before leaving after six innings. The Royals also committed two errors, leading to another run.

“He’s been doing a good job since we got him,” center fielder Lorenzo Cain said of the right-hander who was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds just before the trading deadline. “Unfortunately, I just speak for myself, I played terribly.”

Henry Owens made the longest start of his short career, pitching eight innings of four-hit ball. Blake Swihart had four hits and Mookie Betts three for the Red Sox, who tied a season high with their fourth win in a row.

A 23-year-old lefty who is one of Boston’s top pitching prospects, Owens (2-1) was making his fourth career start since being called up from Triple-A Pawtucket on Aug. 4. He pitched well in his first two outings, but gave up seven runs and 10 hits in a loss to Seattle on Sunday.

Owens allowed Kansas City one earned run and four hits and a walk, striking out four in eight innings. The Red Sox got to Cueto for three runs in the second inning, two in the fourth, and two more in the sixth.

Josh Rutledge hit a two-run homer for Boston. Alcides Escobar hit a solo shot for the Royals.

BAD PLAYS

Boston led 4-1 in the fourth when Betts lofted a blooper to right-center. Cain ran hard for it, and when he tried to scoop it up on one hop he swatted it away, into right field. Betts took second, and Swihart scored from first. The Royals also made an error in Boston’s three-run second, when Escobar just failed to field a relay throw from the outfield.

HOT CATCHER

Swihart, another 23-year-old rookie, had his second career four-hit game, and he was in the middle of all three Boston rallies. He doubled in a run and scored in the second; he singled in a run and scored in the fourth; and he singled to start the sixth-inning rally, scoring on Rutledge’s homer.

“He’s a great student of the game,” said Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo, who is filling in as manager while John Farrell is being treated for lymphoma. “He pays attention, and we feel like it’s a really good sign of things to come.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 2B Omar Infante returned to the lineup after missing three straight games with back spasms.

Red Sox: RHP Clay Buchholz, who received a plasma-rich platelet injection in his elbow after the All-Star break, has not been cleared to resume throwing, Lovullo said.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura (7-7) makes his 20th start of the season. Ventura went seven innings in his previous start, allowing two runs and five hits and struck out seven for the Royals in a 4-3 win over the Angels in 10 innings Sunday.

Red Sox: RHP Matt Barnes (3-3) is set to make his second major league start after getting rocked in his first. Barnes allowed six runs over five innings in an 8-2 loss to Cleveland on Monday.

— Associated Press —