Wednesday, August 20, 2014
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Infante's 4 hits, 4 RBIs help Royals dump Rockies

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[August 20, 2014]  DENVER -- Omar Infante provided Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost with a nice 60th birthday present.

The second baseman keyed two late two-out rallies for the torrid Royals, who came from behind Tuesday night to beat the Colorado Rockies 7-4.

The Royals, who have won 22 of their past 27 games, remain two games ahead of the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central. The Rockies (49-76) were trying to win a third consecutive game for the first time since July 26.

Kansas City (70-55) scored three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings.

Infante went 4-for-5 with four RBIs. He doubled home two runs in the seventh inning, putting Kansas City on top 3-2, then scored on catcher Salvador Perez's double.

"Omar's swing is so simple, it's not a lot of moving parts," said Yost, who received a birthday cake from first base coach Rusty Kuntz after the game. "He can get on a streak in a hurry."

Infante, the first batter Adam Ottavino faced in relief of starter Tyler Matzek, doubled down the right field line on a 1-2 fastball in the seventh. The ball kicked off the stands in foul territory and shot back into play.



"I had thrown him two fastballs and a slider, and I was kind of split on what to throw," Ottavino said. "I felt like I had a good heater, and I was going to go up high with it. He did a good job, but I could have thrown a better pitch."

Referring to Perez's double over the head of center fielder Drew Stubbs on a 1-2 slider, Ottavino said, "I was trying to bounce a breaking ball there. I had thrown him some sideways ones. I tried to throw him an up-and-down one. The idea was to throw it in the dirt. It didn't quite get there. I give him more credit, because he really hammered a decent pitch."

The Royals added three more runs in the eighth to extend the margin to 7-2. Pinch hitter Christian Colon drew a bases-loaded walk from Rex Brothers, and Infante followed with a two-run double to left off Nick Masset.

Royals starter James Shields (12-6) gave up two runs on nine hits in six innings. In his past nine starts, he is 4-2 with a 2.04 ERA.

"It was a grind day," Shields said. "It was one of those days where I didn't have my good stuff at all. You're going to go through days like that, and you battle through it."

Center fielder Drew Stubbs made it 7-4 in the ninth with a two-run homer off Francisley Bueno, who had hit right fielder Charlie Blackmon with a pitch.

Third baseman Nolan Arenado, who homered off Shields in the fifth to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead, reached on an infield hit and took second when Perez pounced on his tapper about 20 feet in front of the plate but threw the ball up the right field line.

Closer Greg Holland then replaced Bueno and got left fielder Corey Dickerson to fly out, earning his major-league-leading 39th save.

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"I took a good swing," Dickerson said. "It was a two-seamer, moved a little bit out, right as I was swinging. I caught it OK but kind of towards the end of my bat and just kind of popped it up instead of driving it."

Matzek (2-9) lost his fourth start in a row but pitched at least six innings for the ninth time in 13 career starts. He yielded three runs on six hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings. He got 13 outs on ground balls and retired the first two batters he faced in the seventh before giving up a single to pinch hitter Josh Willingham and walking right fielder Nori Aoki, the final batter he faced.

"He did a nice job tonight, getting deep into the game, so he's making strides," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "We're seeing him develop in front of our eyes."

Infante, the Royals' No. 2 hitter, tied his career high with three doubles, which he did once before, 10 years ago. He went 1-for-18 in the weekend series at Minnesota, finishing with nine hitless at-bats, but he stepped up Tuesday, as someone always seems to do for the Royals during their hot streak.

"It's not going to happen every night," Kansas City first baseman Billy Butler said, "We realize that, but we're going to fight to the last out. That's the way this team's always been, even when we weren't going good. We have guys with a lot of heart in here that prepare well. We're not going to do it every night, but we should ride it while we can."
 


NOTES: Colorado RF Michael Cuddyer was scratched from the lineup due to left hamstring soreness. ... The Rockies selected the contract of OF/1B Matt McBride from Triple-A Colorado Springs and optioned LHP Yohan Flande. To make room on the 40-man roster for McBride, the Rockies transferred SS Troy Tulowitzki to the 60-day disabled list. Tulowitzki underwent season-ending surgery Friday to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. ... Rockies 1B Justin Morneau returned the lineup after missing both games of Sunday's doubleheader due to stiff neck. He went 0-for-4. ... Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu was back in the lineup and went hitless in four at-bats after not playing in the doubleheader after rolling his left ankle Saturday. ... C Salvador Perez was back in the Royals' lineup despite tweaking his right patellar tendon during Monday's game at Minnesota. He finished 1-for-5.

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