Betemit homers, KC beats Cards in rubber match 10-3

[June 28, 2010]  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Jason Kendall had a pair of two-run doubles and Jose Guillen stretched his hitting streak to 21 games, leading the Kansas City Royals past the St. Louis Cardinals 10-3 Sunday.

Wilson Betemit hit a three-run homer as the Royals took two of three from their I-70 rivals. Last year, the Cardinals went 5-1 against Kansas City and swept all three in Kauffman Stadium.

Guillen had two singles, his first glanced off the glove of shortstop Brendan Ryan and drove in a run. His 21-game streak is the longest by a Royal since Rey Sanchez hit in 21 straight in 2001 and is a big league high this season -- Josh Hamilton has hit in 20 in a row for Texas, which plays later Sunday.

During Guillen's streak, 27 of his 31 hits have been singles. He's also had two doubles, a triple, one homer and 13 RBIs.

Bruce Chen (4-2) wobbled through the first two innings throwing 64 pitches and stranding five base-runners. But the left-hander settled and went five innings, giving up two runs on just two hits, including Albert Pujols' solo homer in the fifth after the Royals had taken a 7-1 lead. In the ninth, Colby Rasmus hit a 429-foot solo homer for St. Louis.

Rookie left-hander Jaime Garcia (7-4) retired the first five batters, then walked two and surrendered Betemit's opposite-field home run on a 1-1 pitch. Betemit's shot broke a 68-inning homerless streak for the Royals, their longest since a 71-game drought in 2007.

Garcia lasted only two innings plus three batters and was charged with five runs on four hits and two walks. It was his shortest outing and the most runs he's allowed this season. His ERA climbed from 1.79, second-best in the majors, to 2.27.

Kendall had two-run doubles off Adam Ottavino in the fourth inning and the eighth. David DeJesus had a pair of RBI singles.

NOTES: Before Betemit's second-inning shot, the Royals' last home run had come on June 18 at Atlanta, by Billy Butler. ... Pujols entered the three-game series batting .400 in 27 games in his home town, with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs. He was 2 for 10 for this series with a single and a solo homer. ... Betemit's home run gave him three homers and three doubles in 18 at-bats.

[Associated Press; By DOUG TUCKER]

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