Royals 8, Orioles 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Third baseman Mike Moustakas homered during a seven-run sixth inning to support right-hander Kris Medlen's first start in nearly two years as the Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-3 Monday night.
Moustakas' 14th home run of the year, and third in his last four games, ignited an inning in which the Royals collected seven consecutive two-out hits.
Medlen (2-0), who missed all of the 2014 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks with six strikeouts to record his first win as a starter since his last appearance for the Atlanta Braves, Sep. 27, 2013.
Down 3-1 in the sixth, the Royals erupted for seven runs, all with two outs.
After Moustakas' two-run shot into the right-field bleachers tied the score 3-3, catcher Salvador Perez reached on an infield hit and right fielder Alex Rios doubled. Second baseman Omar Infante then tripled and scored on second baseman Jonathan Schoop's throwing error for a 6-3 lead.
Kansas City added two more runs in the sixth when center fielder Lorenzo Cain singled to bring in shortstop Alcides Escobar and left fielder Ben Zobrist. The seven-run inning tied a season high for the Royals and the eight hits were their most in one inning since Game 6 of the World Series last year.
Including the four-game sweep in the AL Championship series, it was Kansas City's seventh straight win against Baltimore.
Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (9-8) allowed seven runs on 10 hits with one walk and three strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.
Center fielder Adam Jones' two-run, first-inning homer was his 24th of the year and seventh in his last 14 games.
The Orioles did not have a baserunner after designated hitter Steve Clevenger's one-out RBI double in the fourth.
What looked to be a spectacular catch by Cain of third baseman Manny Machado's long drive on the first pitch of the game was overturned on an Orioles challenge. The replay determined Cain momentarily lost control of the ball and it touched the wall in right-center, making it a double. Two batters later, Machado scored ahead of Jones' home run.
The Royals cut the lead in half in the third. Zobrist and Cain singled with one out, and first baseman Eric Hosmer delivered an RBI grounder.
The Orioles regained their two-run advantage in the fourth when Clevenger's one-out double to left brought home Jones for a 3-1 lead.
NOTES: Orioles C Steve Clevenger will miss the final three games of the series (Tuesday through Thursday) as he returns home to be with his wife for the birth of their child. Labor will be induced Tuesday afternoon. ... Orioles RHP Mike Wright (left calf strain) is expected to go five innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday. ... Royals DH Kendrys Morales entered the series as a career .359 hitter (47-for-131) against the Orioles, third best among active players behind only Miguel Cabrera (.391) and Adrian Gonzalez (.379). ... The Orioles recalled RHP Jorge Rondon from Norfolk to help with an overworked bullpen. Manager Buck Showalter said, "We're short; the last two or three games we've really had to push the envelope." ... Monday's game was the first matchup between last year's AL Championship Series opponents. The Royals and Orioles were the last two AL teams to face each other this year.