Associated Press

CHICAGO — Adam Dunn showed signs of coming out of a season-long slump.

The struggling slugger hit a clutch two-run homer in the eighth inning before a crazy finish gave the Chicago White Sox a 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.

“I hadn’t hit one in so long I almost forgot,” Dunn said. “Seriously. I know it hit it on the barrel and hit it straight up. But I’m just glad there was little wind that blew it out.”

A.J. Pierzynski scored the winning run on a balk called on Aaron Crow in the ninth after the Royals had tied it on a homer first ruled a triple in the top of the inning.

With the Royals trailing 4-3 in the ninth, Eric Hosmer led off with what appeared to be a homer off White Sox closer Sergio Santos (3-3). Second base umpire Alfonso Marquez signaled the ball was in play as Hosmer advanced to third. Royals manager Ned Yost contested the call, and the umpire reviewed it. Moments after the review, Marquez signaled a homer.

Ramon Castro also hit a solo shot in the fifth for the White Sox, who have won five of its last six games.

Pierzynski led off the ninth with a pinch-hit single off Crow (2-2) in the ninth, then advanced to second on Gordon Beckham’s sacrifice bunt. Pierzynski moved to third on a wild pitch, and after striking out Mark Teahen, Crow walked pinch-hitter Juan Pierre.

With Dunn up and facing a 1-0 count, Pierzynski noticed Crow’s front shoulder move after he saw it, Pierzynski alerted the umpires and that prompted the players in the White Sox’s dugout to jump up and plate Ed Rapuano then called a balk, giving Chicago the win.

“He just came up a little bit,” Pierzynski said. “It wasn’t much, but I’ve seen it called a lot of times. I just saw his front shoulder (move), and then he realized and stepped off and didn’t think anyone saw it. No one reacted. It took a second for everyone to finally realize what he had done. It was a good way to win. Good comeback. I’m happy for Adam. It’s got to feel great for him, and Mark pitched well. It’s a big win.”

Yost argued the call with Rapuano before heading back to the dugout.

“He was adamant that it was a balk,” Yost said. “I’ve looked at the replay four or five times and I’m having a hard time seeing it. Eddie said that he turned his shoulder before he stepped off.”

Royals right fielder Jeff Francoeur didn’t appreciate Rapuano taking the game out of the players’ hands.

“I love Ed Rapuano and he’s one of my favorite (umpires), but you better be damn well sure if someone balks when you call a game on that,” said Francoeur, who homered. “It’s a shame because you’ve got an All-Star reliever up there, you’ve got Adam Dunn in the box, the crowd was going crazy. It’s a great atmosphere, and you’re going to call a balk to end the game. I just don’t see it. I’ve always respected Ed, he’s always done a great job, but to make that call in that situation, to me, that’s not right. …

“I understand if he drops the ball or blatantly moves, but he’s calling him for flinching when he’s stepping back off the mound. What the hell are you supposed to do? How are you supposed to step off? It’s a disappointing call.”

After the game, the umpires declined an interview request.

With Kansas City holding a 3-2 lead, Crow allowed a leadoff single to Brent Morel in the eighth and Dunn followed with his eighth homer of the season on a 1-1 pitch to right field to put the White Sox ahead 4-3.

Dunn, who came in hitting .165, received a loud ovation from the 31,077 fans in attendance — prompting a curtain call. It was his first home run since June 12 against Oakland. He also passed Joe DiMaggio on the career list, putting him at 77 with 362 career homers.

Earlier in the game, Dunn singled to right in the fourth inning, prompting a Bronx cheer from the fans. Dunn, acknowledged the crowd by tipping his helmet to the fans. But Dunn says he understands where the fans are coming from.

“I promise you it’s a way better feeling that way than the other way,” he said. “I appreciate them, especially tonight, sticking with it. The thing about the fans, they boo and stuff because they want to see the team and personally do so well. That’s how I’ve been looking at it. It makes it more special when they cheer like that.”

Santos couldn’t hold the lead after allowing the homer to Hosmer in the ninth. It was Santos’ third blown save of the season.

Mark Buehrle allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings for the White Sox, who began a stretch of 19 consecutive games against AL Central division rivals. Last season, the Chicago finished 32-40 against AL Central opponents and are 7-11 against the division this season.

Jeff Francis allowed two runs over on seven hits over six innings. He struck out four without allowing a walk for the Royals, who have lost six of seven.

Associated Press

DENVER — Melky Cabrera staked Kansas City to an early lead. His teammates made it stand up.

Cabrera homered twice and drove in five runs as the Kansas City Royals tied a team record with 12 extra-base hits and outslugged Carlos Gonzalez and the Colorado Rockies 16-8 Sunday.

“Great day,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Two homers, swung the bat well and a triple shy of the cycle.”

Cabrera and Eric Hosmer, who also homered, had four hits apiece as Kansas City ended a five-game losing streak. Mike Moustakas and Jeff Francoeur each got three of the Royals’ season-high 21 hits.

The Royals’ 12 extra-base hits tied a franchise record set May 13, 1979. Cabrera matched his career best for hits and RBIs.

“Melky got us started and after that we just started driving the ball,” Francoeur said. “We’ve got an offense that’s pretty good. We can score some runs, but the last two weeks we’ve struggled.”

Kansas City tagged Jason Hammel (4-8) for six runs in 3 2/3 innings. Cabrera hit a solo homer in the first and a three-run homer in the third, and the Royals took a 6-0 lead in the fourth.

“We were aggressive and we had a pretty good approach against that guy,” Cabrera said.

Gonzalez homered and tied a career high with six RBIs. But he left in the seventh inning after he ran into the center-field wall and injured his right wrist.

Gonzalez caught Brayan Pena’s fly, hit the wall and was down on the warning track for several minutes. He was driven off the field on a cart and taken to a hospital for X-rays.

“We don’t think that there’s anything serious,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “He went face first into that wall, making what we think is the play of the year. He was more sore on the glove hand, his right wrist.”

Several teammates jogged out to center to check on Gonzalez.

“I went out there after he hit the wall and I think he’s OK, but I’m not a doctor,” shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “Give him credit, he’s not scared of the wall. He plays the game the right way.”

Colorado rallied for five runs in the fifth against Kansas City starter Luke Hochevar, a Denver native. Gonzalez hit a three-run double and Mark Ellis hit a two-run homer — his second home run in three games with Colorado.

Reliever Blake Wood (4-0) struck out Tulowitzki and Seth Smith to end the threat. Wood got the win despite allowing three runs in 1 2/3 innings.

The Royals scored six runs in the sixth against reliever Matt Belisle. Moustakas had two hits in the inning and Francoeur had a two-run double to give the Royals a 12-5 lead.

“Those tack-on runs were huge,” Yost said. “When you score early, get a six-run lead and they come back and score five runs and you snuff it out with another six spot, it’s huge.”

During the burst, Kansas City outfielder Alex Gordon left the game after getting hit by a pitch on the left knee. Yost said Gordon suffered a bruise and is day-to-day.

The Rockies got three runs back on Gonzalez’s homer in the bottom half, his 13th of the season. Hosmer hit his sixth homer, a three-run drive in a four-run seventh that made it 16-8.

“When they made it 12-8 we put up four more,” Francoeur said. “It was fun to play in a game like this where everybody’s chipping in. Hopefully this will give us confidence going forward.”

Associated Press

From demoted A-ball starter to All-Star rookie reliever, Aaron Crow earned a spot in Major League Baseball’s Mid-Summer Classic.

Crow was among the 33 players selected to the American League roster on Sunday, completing a quick rise from struggling prospect to the apex of baseball honors. He is the fourth Royals rookie to make the All-Star team joining Ellie Rodriguez, Kevin Seitzer and Mike MacDougal.

While Crow earned the trip as a dominant setup reliever, outfielder Alex Gordon wasn’t as lucky.

The former No. 2 overall draft pick is in the midst of the best season for a Royals’ left fielder since Willie Wilson in 1980. However, not voted in as a starter, Gordon did not receive a spot on the roster from Texas manager Ron Washington, the skipper of this year’s All-Star team.

However, Gordon is competing against four other American League players in a fan vote for the 34th and final spot on the All-Star roster. The competing players are Detroit first baseman Victor Martinez, Chicago first baseman Paul Konerko, Baltimore outfielder Adam Jones and Tampa Bay second baseman Ben Zobrist.

Voting runs until Thursday.

Crow won’t have to wait, making Washington’s list of pitchers.

“My dad usually can’t shut up,” Crow told The Associated Press, “but when I called him he had just seen it on TV and he was speechless. He couldn’t say anything. It was nice to see him react that way.”

The 12th overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, Crow spent last year in the minor leagues as a starting pitcher. He was demoted midseason from AA Northwest Arkansas to Class A Wilmington.

Crow was 9-10 with a 5.73 ERA during the two stops.

However, Crow made the team out of spring training this year after a strong showing out of the bullpen. That continued into the season where the University of Missouri product didn’t allow a run over his first 16 2/3 innings as mostly a setup man.

Crow currently owns a 1.36 ERA in 39 2/3 innings, mostly as a setup man to closer Joakim Soria.

The selection of Crow came at the expense of the perceived favorite to represent the Royals.

Gordon has finally made good on the expectations heaped upon him after being drafted out of Nebraska. Despite leaving Sunday’s game after being hit on his left knee with a pitch, Gordon completed a spectacular series in Colorado. He had five hits in the first two games, and his average sits at .301.

Gordon has 38 extra-base hits thus far — 10 of them home runs — and he’s third in the American League in hits (98) and doubles (24). He’s also driven in 46.

Entering the season, Gordon’s career highs were 16 home runs (2008) and 60 RBIs (2007).

Associated Press

DENVER — Mark Ellis had three doubles in his second game with the Colorado Rockies, who also got a home run from Troy Tulowitzki in a 9-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Ellis, Todd Helton and Tulowitzki each drove in two runs for Colorado, which finished with a season-high nine extra-base hits. Helton hit his 543rd double in the eighth, tying him with Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn for 24th on the career list.

The Rockies acquired Ellis, along with cash, from Oakland on Thursday for a minor league pitcher and a player to be named later. The veteran infielder had three hits and three RBIs in his Colorado debut Friday night, a 9-0 win over the Royals.

Alex Gordon had four hits and two RBIs for Kansas City, which has dropped five straight. Wilson Betemit had a pinch-hit three-run homer in the fourth.

Royals starter Kyle Davies lasted just three innings in his first start since May 16. The right-hander had been sidelined by right rotator cuff inflammation.

Davies (1-7) hurt himself with a throwing error during Colorado’s six-run second inning. Seth Smith had two hits and Ellis drove in a pair of runs with a double as the Rockies sent 11 men to the plate while building a 7-0 lead.

Greg Reynolds (3-0) made it through five innings for the Rockies, yielding five runs and eight hits. Reynolds was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to sub for Jhoulys Chacin, whose start was pushed back to Tuesday because of right forearm stiffness.

Gordon hit an RBI single off Rafael Betancourt in the ninth before Huston Street came on and got Jeff Francoeur to pop up for the final out, earning his 24th save.

Colorado had scored 18 runs and rapped out 28 hits in the first two games of the series against Kansas City, improving to 8-6 in interleague play.

Francoeur had an RBI triple for the Royals, who dropped to 4-13 against the National League. Davies dropped to 0-6 with an 8.25 ERA in his last six starts.

Associated Press

Mark Ellis and Juan Nicasio put on quite a show, maybe even upstaging the fireworks display that drew the capacity crowd to Coors Field in the first place.

Ellis had three hits, including a two-run homer, in his Colorado debut and Nicasio allowed three singles over eight innings as the Rockies beat the slumping Kansas City Royals 9-0 on Friday night.

Even Ellis couldn’t have envisioned this type of start to his career in the Mile High City. He finished a triple shy of the cycle and drove in three runs.

“A beautiful night, a sellout crowd and we won 9-0. A perfect night,” said Ellis, who was acquired from the Oakland Athletics on Thursday.

It had to be the cleats.

Before the game, Ellis asked Troy Tulowitzki if he could borrow a pair of the smooth-fielding shortstop’s black-and-purple shoes, even inquiring if they might come with some of Tulowitzki’s tremendous power inside them.

Tulowitzki said they didn’t possess any extra pop.

But Tulowitzki was mistaken. Ellis hit a liner in the fifth that just crept over the wall in left.

“Just see the ball and hit the ball,” explained Ellis, who hit his second homer of the season. “That’s what I try to do. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

Tulowitzki connected on a two-run homer, Todd Helton added a two-run double and pinch-hitter Charlie Blackmon lined the first homer of his major league career — on his 25th birthday, no less — to help the Rockies snap a two-game slide.

Nicasio (3-1) struck out four and got the Royals to hit into 16 groundouts. With his pitch count at 111, the rookie righty was pulled in the ninth for reliever Edgmer Escalona, who was just called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Friday.

Nicasio improved to 3-0 at Coors Field, lowering his ERA to 2.08 at the notoriously hitter-friendly park. Although this field may haunt some pitchers, it forces Nicasio to bear down.

“I’m able to focus more on throwing things down in the strike zone,” Nicasio said through his interpreter, Ubaldo Jimenez. “For sure, that was the best game that I have thrown.”

Only one Kansas City runner reached as far as second base all night, and that wasn’t until two outs in the ninth.

Danny Duffy (1-3) couldn’t break the Royals out of their funk as the team dropped its fourth straight. Duffy lasted five innings, allowing five runs and nine hits. He struck out six.

The lefty had trouble locating his fastball, leaving pitches up to Ellis and Tulowitzki, who both laced homers.

“I made a couple of mistakes. I thought I threw the ball pretty well, I just didn’t come out on top today,” Duffy said.

Ellis started things off on the right foot, collecting a single in his first at bat.

It was simply that kind of game for Ellis.

He also played flawless second base, already developing quite a chemistry with Tulowitzki as the tandem turned a nifty double play early in the game.

The Rockies acquired Ellis, along with cash, from Oakland on Thursday for a minor league pitcher and a player to be named later.

They are banking on him to provide consistency at second base, something the team has sorely missed all season. They have trotted out Chris Nelson, Jonathan Herrera, Eric Young Jr. and Jose Lopez, who’s since been let go.

Nelson and Young were optioned to Colorado Springs before the game.

Helton finished with four hits, including the 542nd double of his career. He’s tied with Hall of Famer Harry Heilmann for 25th place on all-time list.

Nicasio has been a pleasant surprise for the Rockies since being called up from Double-A Tulsa in late May. What was billed as an audition has pretty much turned into a permanent spot in the rotation.

With plenty of movement on all his pitches, Nicasio has been difficult for the opposition to hit this season. He also boasts a fastball that hovers around 94 mph.

“He threw the ball very well, he threw his fastball for strikes, got in on us, kept the ball down,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “The strike zone was a tiny strike zone and he did a good job of keeping the ball in it. He threw more breaking balls for strikes than I thought he would.

“He’s got good stuff. He’s a good young pitcher,” he said.

The Rockies had to shuffle around their rotation after their top pitcher, Jhoulys Chacin, experienced some tightness in his right forearm.

Chacin will have his scheduled start Saturday pushed back until Tuesday. To take his place, the Rockies will recall Greg Reynolds from Colorado Springs.

The 23-year-old Chacin is 8-5 with a 3.10 ERA. Rockies manager Jim Tracy doesn’t want to take any chances, especially in light of losing lefty Jorge De La Rosa with a season-ending elbow injury.

“We could ill afford to lose a guy like this,” Tracy said.

Royals Media Relations

The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has signed 21st-round selection from the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft, catcher Kenny Swab.  The Royals have now inked 25 of the club’s 50 selections from last month’s draft.  In addition, the Royals have signed 11 non-drafted free agents.

Swab, 22, helped lead the University of Virginia to the College World Series in June where the Cavaliers went 2-2 and were eliminated by eventual champion South Carolina.  The 6-foot-1, 195-pound catcher batted .318 with 17 doubles, two triples, one home run, 29 RBI and 44 runs scored in 59 games (56 starts) for Virginia, stealing 11 bases in 12 attempts.  A native of Kernersville, N.C., Swab was selected by the Cincinnati Reds out of Young Harris Junior College in the 48th round of the 2009 draft, but chose to attend Virginia.  He was also tabbed by the Atlanta Braves in the 35th round in 2010, but elected to return for his senior season.

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO — Thanks to a fortuitous sun ball, the suddenly surging San Diego Padres are no longer in last place in the NL West.

Tim Stauffer won consecutive starts for the first time this year and his popup led to four unearned runs with two outs in the third inning, sending San Diego to a 4-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

It was the first sweep of the year for the Padres, who have won four straight and seven of eight. San Diego went 5-1 against Atlanta and Kansas City for its first winning homestand of 2011.

With the Los Angeles Dodgers losing 1-0 at Minnesota, the Padres broke out of a tie for last in the NL West and are in sole possession of fourth place. But they have a long way to go to challenge division-leading San Francisco.

“Nice. It’s good to get out of that cellar and keep on creeping up,” Stauffer said.

Stauffer (4-5) allowed one run and four hits in seven innings to lower his ERA to 2.97. After going 1-4 with a 3.99 ERA in his first 12 starts, Stauffer has gone 3-1 with a 1.00 ERA in his last five outings.

Heath Bell pitched the ninth for his 23rd save in 24 chances, allowing two singles.

Bell, who along with Ryan Ludwick are expected to be traded by the budget-conscious Padres, said continuing the strong performance during the next few weeks could keep the Padres from becoming sellers.

“We’re going to have to keep winning like we are right now. We’re going to really have to play well and play hard,” he said.

The Padres grabbed control in the third inning thanks to third baseman Mike Moustakas’ error on a sun ball.

With San Diego trailing 1-0, Stauffer started the decisive third with a popup. First baseman Eric Hosmer lost it in the sun and ducked out of the way. Moustakas, who ran all the way over to the first-base side of the mound, stuck out his glove and the ball bounced off it. He reached out again to try to grab the ball but it hit off his glove again and hit the ground for error.

“It went up in the air and we didn’t communicate very well,” Moustakas said. “There is a tough sun up there on that side of the field and I came in at the last second, saw the ball coming down and tried to take a swipe at it. I almost had it a couple of times. It was a weird play. But that ball has got to be caught.”

Chris Denorfia followed with a single before left-hander Bruce Chen retired the next two batters. Ryan Ludwick doubled to left to bring in Stauffer with the tying run. Rizzo hit a two-run single to right, took second on the throw home and scored on Orlando Hudson’s high chopper.

“You never know in this game. That’s why you run it out,” Stauffer said. “It was a little earlier game start than normal. It’s pretty sunny out there. I’ve seen that happen a few times. That’s a tough little spot where three or four guys are converging. We’re fortunate that got us going that inning. Any game I can get two at-bats in an inning, whether I go 0 for 2 or 2 for 2 in the inning, I’m pretty happy. Getting that lead gives you a little extra kick out there.”

Stauffer came up again with the bases loaded and grounded out to end the inning.

“I think we’re playing the brand of baseball we needed to play to be successful,” Stauffer said. “Limiting the runs given up early, then getting the lead and sticking with it with our pitching and defense, we feel pretty confident about playing with anybody. That’s how we’ve had success this homestand and hopefully we keep it rolling on the road.”

Kansas City scored its run in the top half of the inning when Melky Cabrera doubled with one out and scored on Hosmer’s single to center.

Chen (4-2), making his second start since May 5, allowed four runs, none earned, and eight hits in six innings. He returned Friday from a stint on the disabled list with a strained back muscle.

Royals Media Relations

A trio of Omaha Storm Chasers have been chosen to represent the Pacific Coast League in the 2011 All-Star Game in Salt Lake, the league office announced Wednesday. Second baseman Johnny Giavotella and first baseman/designated hitter Clint Robinson will be in the PCL’s starting lineup, while league ERA leader Luis Mendoza will be in the bullpen for the PCL All-Stars when they take on the International League on Wednesday, July 13.

Giavotella, who will celebrate his 24th birthday July 10, is hitting .323 with five homers and 53 RBI as the Chasers’ primary No. 2 hitter. Through 79 games, he has collected a team-best 105 hits, rapped 22 doubles and has stolen nine bases. He is tops in the league defensively at second base in total chances, putouts, assists and double plays, and ranks third in fielding percentage among second basemen with a .979 mark.

Robinson, last year’s Triple Crown winner in the Texas League, leads the Storm Chasers in hitting (.330), home runs (17), runs batted in (54), runs scored (54) and slugging percentage (.573). He has started 38 games at first base and 38 at designated hitter this season, but will be the starting DH for the Pacific Coast League All-Stars. Both Robinson and Giavotella represented Northwest Arkansas in the Texas League All-Star Game a season ago.

Mendoza, far and away the PCL leader in earned run average, will be in the bullpen for All-Star manager Lorenzo Bundy. The 27-year-old righthander is 5-3 with a 2.75 ERA in 22 appearances for the Storm Chasers this season, including seven starts. He has allowed one run or fewer in eight-consecutive appearances (five starts) dating back to May 26, going 4-0 with a 0.99 ERA in 45.2 innings pitched during that stretch. Mendoza’s 2.75 ERA is a remarkable 0.95 better than the next qualified pitcher in the league leaders, Nashville’s Sam Narron (3.70).

Starting along with Giavotella and Robinson in the PCL lineup will be catcher Anthony Recker (Sacramento), first baseman Bryan LaHair (Iowa), third baseman Brian Barden (Round Rock), shortstop Cody Ransom (Reno) and outfielders Collin Cowgill (Reno), Trayvon Robinson (Albuquerque) and former Nebraska Cornhusker Andrew Brown (Memphis). Las Vegas lefthander Brad Mills is expected to be the starting pitcher for the Pacific Coast League.

The Storm Chasers will also be represented by All-Star hitting coach Tommy Gregg, who will have the privilege of working with two of his top pupils in Salt Lake. The 47-year-old Gregg is in his third season in Omaha, fifth in the Kansas City organization and ninth overall in Minor League Baseball.

The 24th Annual Triple-A All-Star Game, pitting the best players from the 16-team Pacific Coast League against the 14-team International League, will be broadcast nationwide on MLB Network Wednesday, July 13 at 8 p.m. Central Time.

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO — Clayton Richard won for the first time in 12 home starts since August and the San Diego Padres beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Tuesday night for their third straight series win.

The Padres have won six of seven, including series wins against Boston and Atlanta. Jeff Francoeur homered and threw out a runner at home for the Royals, who have lost two straight and eight of 10.

Richard (4-9) hadn’t won at Petco Park since beating Arizona on Aug. 24. The Padres had lost his 11 home starts since Aug. 29, tied for the longest such stretch in club history. The left-hander was 0-8 in those 11 starts.

Including Tuesday night’s game, Richard’s ERA in his last 12 home starts is 2.76. He held the Royals to two runs and five hits in seven innings, struck out five and walked one.

Heath Bell pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 23 chances.

Cameron Maybin had three hits and scored twice for the Padres, who gave Richard some early run support.

Ryan Ludwick hit an RBI single in the first inning. The Royals tied it in the second when Matt Treanor singled in Francoeur, who had walked and stolen second. Earlier in his at-bat, a foul ball bounced up and hit Treanor in the face.

Maybin beat out a high chopper leading off the second and scored on Kyle Phillips’ double to the gap in left-center. Richard sacrificed and Phillips scored on Will Venable’s sacrifice fly for a 3-1 lead.

Francoeur threw out rookie Anthony Rizzo trying to score from second on Orlando Hudson’s single to end the third. It was the 17th outfield assist at the plate for the Royals this season and their fifth in the last six games. Overall they have 31 outfield assists, tops in the majors.

They also had an error that allowed the Padres to pad their lead. Maybin singled leading off the fourth and stole second. He bluffed on Phillips’ fly out to left, and Alex Gordon’s high throw glanced off third baseman Wilson Betemit’s glove, went between the legs of pitcher Felipe Paulino backing up the play and into the Royals’ dugout, allowing Maybin to score.

Francoeur homered off Richard in the seventh, his 11th.

Paulino (0-2) allowed four runs, three earned, and 11 hits in seven innings, struck out seven and walked one.

Associated Press

Ryan Ludwick hit a two-run homer, Mat Latos won for the first time in four starts and the San Diego Padres beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Monday night.

The Padres, coming off consecutive series victories against Boston and Atlanta, have won five of six. The Royals have lost seven of nine.

Latos (5-8) allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings, struck out six and walked two to win for the first time since June 5 against Houston. Heath Bell pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 22 chances, getting the final out after allowing consecutive two-out singles.

The Padres continued their domination of Jeff Francis (3-9), who allowed four runs, three earned, and five hits in five innings.

Francis dropped to 5-13 with a 5.65 ERA in 22 career starts against San Diego. The former Colorado Rockies pitcher is winless in his last six starts against San Diego. At Petco Park, he’s 3-7 with a 5.27 ERA in 12 starts.

Overall, Francis has lost three straight starts and four of five.

With Chase Headley aboard on a double, Ludwick homered to left with two outs in the first, his 10th.

Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer hit a sacrifice fly in the third and Latos helped himself in the bottom of the inning when he hit a leadoff double and eventually scored on a wild pitch for a 3-1 lead. The inning ended when catcher Brayan Pena held onto the ball after being run over by Headley, who was trying to score on Ludwick’s double to left.

The Padres took a 4-1 lead in the fourth when Jesus Guzman reached on a throwing error by shortstop Alcides Escobar and eventually scored on a throwing error by first baseman Hosmer, who was trying to throw him out at third after Orlando Hudson’s groundout.

The Royals have thrown out 16 runners at the plate, including four in the last five games.

The Royals pulled to 4-3 with one out in the sixth on Pena’s two-run double down the right-field line to score Alex Gordon and Jeff Francoeur, who opened the inning with singles. Pena took third on Escobar’s fly to right but was stranded when second baseman Hudson made a nice play to throw out pinch-hitter Billy Butler and end the inning.

Gordon extended his hitting streak to 14 games.