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 —

BOSTON (AP) — Travis Shaw and Jackie Bradley Jr. are making the most of their late-season tryout.

Shaw had a pair of hits and Bradley laced an RBI triple to right on Thursday night to help the Boston Red Sox beat Kansas City 4-1 and end the Royals’ five-game winning streak.

Bradley’s last nine hits have been for extra bases.

“This is a wave that every player wants to get on, and we’re enjoying it,” said bench coach Torey Lovullo, who is filling in for manager John Farrell while he undergoes treatment for lymphoma.

Ryan Hanigan drove in two runs and scored another on Bradley’s triple. Wade Miley (10-9) allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings as the Red Sox improved to 5-2 under Lovullo.

Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts also had two hits apiece for Boston.

For Shaw, it was the fifth multihit game in a week. Shaw is batting .434 since his Aug. 1 call-up, and Bradley is hitting .409 since Aug. 6.

“He’s a special player,” said Bradley, who was the higher-rated prospect but who struggled early in the majors and was hitting just .102 on Aug. 5. “I know what he’s capable of. He knows what he’s capable of. I’m glad he’s getting to show it on this stage.”

Miley allowed one run on six hits while striking out six. Junichi Tazawa pitched the ninth for his second save.

Salvador Perez had two of the Royals’ six hits. The AL Central leaders had won 10 of their last 12 to open a 14 1-2 game lead in the AL Central.

“We know what we have to do: We have to go out there and continue to play good baseball,” third baseman Mike Moustakas said. “We don’t ever take any days off.”

Danny Duffy (6-6) gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out three in five innings.

Duffy loaded the bases in the first before walking Shaw to score a run. The Red Sox made it 4-0 in the third when Hanigan singled with runners on second and third, then scored on Bradley’s triple.

MEET THE NEW BOSS

The Red Sox have won three in a row — and both of their games since former Tigers boss Dave Dombrowski was hired as president of baseball operations on Tuesday. General manager Ben Cherington declined to stick around in a lesser role.

“I come here every day trying to prove I belong,” said Shaw, who was a lifetime .261 hitter in the minors and is now batting .382 with Boston. “Especially with the new boss.”

JBJ

Bradley has hit safely in 12 of the last 14 games — including a five-hit, five-run, two-homer, seven-RBI game against Seattle on Saturday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: LF Alex Gordon is scheduled to join Triple-A Omaha this weekend and start a rehab assignment as he returns from a groin strain that has kept him out since early July. Gordon was with the Royals for the series opener Thursday and said the plan is to start as DH and alternate games with limited time in the outfield.

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia could return from a nagging hamstring injury in early September. Lovullo said Pedroia had another MRI on the right hamstring and still needs to regain some strength before he’s ready to return to the lineup.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Johnny Cueto (2-1) makes his fifth AL start in the second game of the four-game series.

Red Sox: LHP Henry Owens (1-1) makes his fourth career start.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — Four hits in one game is nothing new to Ben Zobrist.

Seeing a team mess up an Infield Fly Rule situation? That’s another story.

The Kansas City second baseman watched as the Cincinnati Reds committed a key baserunning gaffe, helping the Royals beat the Reds 4-3 on Wednesday night to complete a two-game sweep.

Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie left in the fifth with the 4-3 lead and the bases loaded and one out. Luke Hochevar (1-0) got Jay Bruce to pop up along the first base line. Bruce was out under the Infield Fly Rule, but Jason Bourgeois tried to score when the ball dropped, and Hochevar threw to catcher Drew Butera, who easily tagged out Bourgeois to end the inning.

“I’ve never seen that before,” said Zobrist, who had four hits for the eighth time in his career. “That was interesting. I didn’t know if they’d send him back to third or what. That was a heads-up play by Butera to make sure.”

Bourgeois reacted to seeing the ball drop, Reds manager Bryan Price said.

“We had some miscommunication on the infield fly,” Price said. “He knows the rule. It was just a reaction. He felt obliged to run.”

No Reds players were available when the clubhouse opened after the game.

Lorenzo Cain had a tiebreaking RBI single in the second inning, as the Royals completed a sweep of the four-game season series. The Royals have won five straight and the Reds have lost five straight.

Ryan Madson and Kelvin Herrera each turned in one scoreless relief inning before Wade Davis pitched the ninth for his 10th save.

Keyvius Sampson (2-2) gave up the four runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two in his fourth career start.

Zobrist and Eric Hosmer both had RBI hits in the first inning to extend hitting streaks, Zobrist to six games (13 for 23, .565) and Hosmer to 10 (13 for 38, .342).

Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips tied the score with back-to-back solo homers in the bottom of the inning, Votto’s 22nd and Phillips’ ninth before Zobrist’s double set up Cain’s two-run single.

“He kept the line moving all night long,” manager Ned Yost said of Zobrist. “He set up run-scoring opportunities.”

Eugenio Suarez cut the lead to 4-3 in the third with an RBI double to center field.

Guthrie lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs with three walks, four strikeouts and a wild pitch.

The start of the game was delayed for 1 hour, 37 minutes by rain.

WORTH A LOOK

Salvador Perez’s day off prompted Yost to try a lineup he hadn’t used since his days managing Milwaukee. He batted Guthrie eighth and left fielder Jarron Dyson ninth. “It gives us double leadoff guys,” Yost said. “We wrote it up both ways and this looked better.”

BE YOURSELF

The Reds promoted RHP Sam LeCure from Triple-A Louisville. LeCure spent most of the previous five seasons with Cincinnati, including all of the last three, before surprisingly being cut in spring training. He blamed many of his problems on trying to be somebody he’s not. “I got out of who I was,” he said. “I’m not Aroldis Chapman. Once I got back to who I was, my stuff returned to normal, which is unremarkable but enough to get outs.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: INF Omar Infante was available to play Wednesday after being scratched from Tuesday’s starting lineup with back spasms. Yost said he would try to give Infante one more day off and use him in Boston.

Reds: Phillips left the game after six innings with inflammation in his right biceps tendon.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (6-5, 4.03) starts the first game of Kansas City’s four-game series at Boston’s Fenway Park. The Royals are 8-2 in Duffy’s 10 starts since he came off the DL on June 24.

Reds: LHP John Lamb (0-1, 7.50) is scheduled to make his second career start when the Reds open a four-game series against the Diamondbacks on Thursday.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jarrod Dyson wasn’t even in Kansas City’s original starting lineup Tuesday night.

Dyson, who started after Omar Infante was scratched with back spasms, scored the tie-breaking run from first base on pitcher Ryan Mattheus’ throwing error and the Royals went on to a 3-1, 13-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

“That’s why, every day, you’ve got to show up ready to play,” said Dyson, who went 2 for 5 with a stolen base. “The unexpected can happen, and you’ve got to prepare for it.”

Ben Zobrist tied the game 1-1 with a homer in the ninth inning off Reds closer Aroldis Chapman who had converted 56 consecutive save opportunities at home since blowing one against Houston on Sept. 7, 2012.

“I didn’t do anything different,” Chapman said through assistant trainer-interpreter Tomas Vera. “All I can tell you is I had a bad day. I made a mistake.”

Dyson led off the 13th with a single and scored when Mattheus (1-4) threw a sacrifice bunt by Kris Medlen (1-0) down the right field line.

Greg Holland finished for his 27th save.

Zobrist, who scored the winning run in the 10th inning of Kansas City’s 4-3 win over the Angels on Sunday, stunned the crowd of 28,719 by leading off the ninth with his 10th homer of the season on a 2-1 pitch from Chapman.

“He’s made a pretty big difference,” manager Ned Yost said of Zobrist, acquired from Oakland on July 28. “He’s become a pretty big piece for us.”

Zobrist’s approach was the key, Reds manager Bryan Price said.

“The thing about Zobrist is he knows the strike zone, and he didn’t get behind,” Price said.

Lorenzo Cain followed Zobrist with a single and stole second and third while Eric Hosmer was striking out. Cain was ruled safe on the rundown that started with Salvador Perez’s grounder to second baseman Brandon Phillips, but Cain was ruled out after a replay review that lasted just under 3 1-2 minutes.

Reds starter Raisel Iglesias allowed one runner past second base while scattering three hits and a walk with three strikeouts over seven innings. He extended his streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 12, dating to the first inning of his last start on Aug. 12 in San Diego.

Eugenio Suarez homered off Kansas City right-hander Edison Volquez with one out in the first, giving Cincinnati a 1-0 lead with his eighth home run of the season.

Volquez, who played for the Reds, allowed four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in six innings.

NO CASE

Yost was ejected for arguing after a replay review upheld the out call on Alcides Escobar with no outs in the 11th. Escobar was thrown out by center fielder Billy Hamilton trying to stretch a single into a double. Hamilton just missed making a diving catch of Escobar’s sinking liner into right-center field.

BUTCHER BOY

Iglesias logged his first career hit in the fifth with Brayan Pena on first and one out. Iglesias, hitless in his first 19 at-bats, squared to bunt, then pulled his bat back and hit a chopper near second. Shortstop Escobar fielded the ball, but with the defense scrambling to cover the possible bunt, Escobar had nobody to throw to at first base.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Yost scratched Infante from the original starting lineup after he developed back spasms. Zobrist was moved from left field to second base and left fielder Dyson got the start in Infante’s slot. Infante is day-to-day, Yost said.

Reds: Hamilton left the game after the 11th inning with a jammed left shoulder he sustained while trying to make a diving, backhanded catch on Escobar’s sinking liner. He’ll be re-examined Wednesday, Price said.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jeremy Guthrie (8-7, 5.63) is 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA in eight career interleague starts going into his scheduled appearance on Wednesday at Cincinnati.

Reds: RHP Keyvius Sampson (2-1, 3.18) will take a two-start winning streak into his first career interleague appearance on Wednesday.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hitting with two outs with runners on base in a key situation doesn’t bother Kendrys Morales. He just focuses on getting a good swing.

Morales had an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night.

Morales leads with the majors with 42 RBI and a .332 average with two outs.

“I feel good in those type of situations and I’m full concentration and I’m looking for a good pitch to hit,” Morales said with coach Pedro Grifol acting as his interpreter. “I was just looking to make hard contact and thank God it turned out OK.”

Ben Zobrist singled with one out in the 10th, the Royals’ first hit since Eric Hosmer’s RBI single in the first inning. After Hosmer walked, Morales singled against Trevor Gott (2-1) as Kansas City improved to 7-2 in extra-inning games.

“He’s really, really smart and he knows what he needs to do to try to get the job done,” Royals manager Ned Yost said of Morales. “He wasn’t trying to do too much, he wasn’t trying to rip a homer, he wasn’t trying to hit a gap. Just staying nice and smooth, take the ball right back up the middle.”

Kelvin Herrera (4-2) pitched a perfect 10th to pick up the victory.

Zobrist reached base 13 times in the series with seven hits and six walks.

Kole Calhoun homered in the eighth off Wade Davis to put the Angels up 3-2.

Los Angeles closer Huston Street, however, couldn’t hold the lead in the ninth. He walked the bases loaded before Alex Rios’ sacrifice fly scored Hosmer to tie the score. Mike Trout then made a diving catch of Paulo Orlando’s scorcher to right-center for the third out to preserve the tie.

The Angels have lost 17 of 23 and this defeat dropped them a half-game behind Baltimore for the second wild-card spot.

“We have to get something going,” Calhoun said. “We have to get a sense of urgency going.”

Hector Santiago gave up two runs and three hits to the first four batters he faced, but not allow a hit after that before departing after seven innings.

Calhoun also tripled in the sixth and scored on a wild pitch before David Murphy homered.

Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura, who was 3-0 in his four previous starts, was pulled after seven innings and 105 pitches, allowing two runs and five hits, while striking out seven and walking one.

Alcides Escobar singled, his 32nd hit to leadoff the game, and scored on Zobrist’s double. Zobrist scored on Hosmer’s single that extended his streak to 10 games with a RBI, the longest in the majors this season.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez was ejected in the seventh for the first time in his career for arguing a called third strike by home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott.

SHOEMAKER DEMOTED

RHP Matt Shoemaker, who set an Angels’ rookie record with 16 wins in 2014, was optioned Sunday to Triple-A Omaha after giving up six runs in 1 2/3 innings in Saturday’s loss to the Royals. “I kind of put myself in this position,” Shoemaker said. “If I pitch better, it’s not an issue. I’ve got to go out there and get better, fix some things and get back here as quick as I can.”

ROYALS ADD VETERAN INSURANCE

Veteran pitchers Jaba Chamberlain and Wandy Rodriguez agreed to minor league contracts with the Royals and will report to their Triple-A Omaha affiliate.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: RHP Cory Rasmus (right forearm strain) and INF Taylor Featherston (upper back strain) were placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Royals: LF Alex Gordon (strained left groin) hopes to begin a rehab assignment next weekend with Triple-A Omaha.

NEXT UP

Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney faces the White Sox on Monday for the second straight start. He allowed two earned runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings Wednesday in a no-decision at Chicago.

Royals: Edinson Volquez, who is 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA in four interleague starts this season, starts the series opener Tuesday at Cincinnati.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals’ Salvador Perez had spent the last three games on the bench, nursing his ailing right wrist. So when the All-Star catcher got the go-ahead to return to the lineup, he decided to prove — twice — that he was just fine.

Perez hit a towering homer to lead off a six-run second inning, then added a run-scoring double later in the frame, backing another strong performance by Johnny Cueto in Kansas City’s 9-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.

“I guess it’s good,” Perez said of his wrist.

Cueto (9-7) allowed one run and eight hits over eight innings, striking out four without a walk. The former All-Star has only allowed six runs in four starts since his trade to Kansas City, including the shutout he tossed against the Tigers in his home debut earlier this week.

Jarrod Dyson celebrated his 31st birthday with three hits and three RBI, and Ben Zobrist reached base four times, including three walks. Kansas City pounded out seven doubles as a team.

Luke Hochevar coughed up three runs in the ninth before finishing off the win.

“I think the whole offense did its job,” Dyson said. “We kept the line going.”

Matt Shoemaker (5-9) absorbed most of the damage for the Angels, the right-hander failing to make it through the second inning in his second consecutive disastrous start. Kansas City paraded 11 batters to the plate in a half inning that took 24 minutes.

Shoemaker had a stretch of 19 scoreless innings snapped Monday in Chicago, where the White Sox pounded him for seven runs in 5 2/3 innings. The Royals got him for six runs in 1 2/3.

Los Angeles has now dropped 11 of its last 12 road games.

“It seemed like not one thing went right,” Shoemaker said. “I got only a couple of outs after all those runs scored. You’re trying to throw a quality pitch to get a guy out and no matter what you’re throwing up there, they were hitting it.”

Luke Hochevar coughed up three runs in the ninth before finishing for Kansas City, giving Ned Yost his 900th victory as a major league manager.

Albert Pujols ended a season-high 14-game streak without a homer in the second inning for Los Angeles — his 31st of the season, and his first hit in 10 at-bats this series. But the streaking Royals wasted no time matching the run, then blowing right past it.

Perez splashed his solo shot into the fountains in left field, an estimated 429 feet from home plate, to lead off the bottom half. Alex Rios walked, Paulo Orlando doubled and Dyson drove them both in with a single. By the time Eric Hosmer added a run-scoring single and Perez an RBI double in his second at-bat of the inning, the Royals had built a 6-1 lead.

After that, Cueto was simply pumping strikes.

The right-hander with the funky assortment of deliveries scattered singles in the third and fourth innings, and hit a batter in the fifth. But he never allowed a runner to reach second base after David Murphy was easily thrown out at home in the second inning.

“Pujols hit the home run and it kind of woke me up,” Cueto said. “It was time to roll.”

NOTEWORTHY NUGGETS

Royals manager Ned Yost earned his 900th victory. … There was a crowd of 39,251, the 18th sellout of the season for Kansas City. … Shoemaker is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in his career against the Royals. … The home run by Pujols was his first since July 29.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: SS Erick Aybar (lower back) remained out of the lineup, though he did take grounders before the game. He could play Sunday. … OF Matt Joyce, who went on the concussion list July 27, will begin a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Salt Lake.

Royals: OF Alex Gordon (groin strain) ran bases before the game. There is still no word on a rehab assignment, though he could be sent out in the coming week.

UP NEXT

Angels: LHP Hector Santiago has dominated Kansas City, going 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in five career starts. He struggled against the White Sox his last time out.

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura tossed six shutout innings in his last start against Detroit. He matched a season-high with eight strikes, though he also walked six.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eric Hosmer hit a go-ahead two-run homer, Danny Duffy settled down after a wild start and the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.

Duffy (6-5) allowed five hits without a walk while matching a franchise record with three hit batters in just six innings. But the left-hander only allowed one run, wiggling out of a few jams by leaving six Angels on base — three in scoring position.

The Royals mustered just one hit off Jered Weaver (4-9) until the sixth, when Ben Zobrist led off with a double to right. He tied the game moments later when first baseman Albert Pujols let a sharply hit grounder by Lorenzo Cain through his legs for an error.

Hosmer followed with his 406-foot shot over the bullpen in right field.

The Royals’ Ryan Madson and Kelvin Herrera each tossed a scoreless inning in relief, and Greg Holland breezed through the ninth to earn his 26th save.

It was a solid bounce-back performance by the normally staunch Kansas City bullpen, which coughed up a four-run lead in a 7-6 loss the previous night. Wade Davis gave up two runs for the first time in 115 appearances, and Holland surrendered four runs without recording an out.

The Angels, meanwhile, resumed their losing ways on the road. Their victory in the opener of the four-game series had snapped their nine-game skid away from Anaheim.

The last time Angels won consecutive road games was July 3-8.

Things looked promising for them in the first inning, when Shane Victorino hit a leadoff triple and trotted home on Mike Trout’s double. But the Angels’ slumping offense managed three singles off Duffy over the next five innings, failing to take advantage of three hit batters.

Taylor Featherstone and Victorino were plunked back-to-back in the second to load the bases, but Kole Calhoun flied out to end the inning. Calhoun was plunked in the fifth.

The Angels also got a pair of base runners caught in rundowns in the seventh inning, which proved costly when Madson issued back-to-back walks to load the bases. But the veteran reliever eventually got Pujols to ground out to end the inning.

Weaver looked like he might make his meager run support stand up anyway. In his second start since missing a month with a hip problem, the soft-tossing right-hander beguiled the Royals with a fastball that never eclipsed 85 mph and off-speed stuff that frequently dipped into the 60s.

The Royals didn’t get their first hit until Cain’s weak single leading off the fourth, and didn’t hit a ball hard until Zobrist’s double in the sixth inning.

That proved to be the hit that got Kansas City’s offense on track.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: SS Erick Aybar (back) was unavailable for the second straight day, though manager Mike Scioscia was hopeful that he will be back soon.

Royals: C Salvador Perez remained out of the starting lineup. The All-Star has not played since Tuesday because of soreness in his wrist.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Matt Shoemaker hopes to bounce back from a disastrous start against the White Sox, when he allowed seven runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Royals: RHP Johnny Cueto tries to follow up a dazzling home debut with Kansas City. He tossed his sixth career shutout in a 4-0 win over Detroit on Monday.

— Associated Press —