Orioles 8, Royals 2
BALTIMORE -- Jonathan Schoop had three hits including two of Baltimore's four home runs, Wei-Yin Chen tossed seven strong innings, and the Orioles defeated the Kansas City Royals 8-2 Sunday night.
Center fielder Adam Jones homered, doubled and drove in four runs, and first baseman Chris Davis also homered for Baltimore (69-73).
The Orioles won four of five as they work to stay alive in the American League wild card race.
Chen (9-7) bounced back from a pair of subpar efforts, allowing two runs on six hits. He retired 15 of the last 17 batters he faced.
Kansas City starter Johnny Cueto's problems continued however as the right hander lost his fifth straight start.
Pitching on six days rest, Cueto (2-6 with the Royals) gave up eight runs -- seven earned -- on 11 hits over 6 1/3 innings.
His ERA over his last five outings is 9.57, and Sunday night Cueto equaled his career high with four home runs allowed.
Salvador Perez had two doubles for the Royals (84-58), who have lost seven of nine.
Chen was the beneficiary of several defensive gems, including a leaping stab by Davis to start the third, and a stop by third baseman Manny Machado that robbed designated hitter Kendrys Morales of an extra-base hit opening the seventh.
The Orioles jumped on the struggling Cueto for three runs in the first. Third baseman Manny Machado drew a one-out walk and first baseman Davis singled him to third.
Behind 0-1 in the count, Jones sent a towering shot into the Orioles' bullpen for his 27th homer of the season.
Kansas City got a pair of runs back with three straight two-out hits off Chen in the second.
Back-to-back doubles by catcher Salvador Perez and right fielder Alex Rios made it 3-1, then shortstop Alcides Escobar lined a single to left, scoring Rios.
Schoop led off the Baltimore second with his 13th homer of the season, a shot to left-center, making it 4-2.
Schoop struck again in the fourth, hitting a one-out blast to center off Cueto that stretched the Orioles' lead to 5-2.
It was Schoop's second career multi-home run game.
Davis took his turn in the fifth, launching a 0-1 Cueto pitch into the seats in left-center for his 42nd home run.
Chen, meanwhile, settled in, allowing the Royals only a single in innings three through five.
NOTES: Baltimore's Matt Wieters caught on consecutive days for the third time this season. ... Orioles LF Nolan Reimold made his seventh start in a row. ... Despite giving up a combined 13 runs Friday and Saturday against Baltimore, the Kansas City bullpen began play Sunday with a 2.66 ERA, best in the American League. ... The Royals were attempting to avoid losing a third straight series. They never previously dropped three consecutive series this year.