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 The top of the fourth inning might have felt like an even longer
wait.
Thanks to a seven-run fourth that saw 11 Kansas City batters step
the plate, the Royals bounced back from a shutout loss to shell the
Seattle Mariners 8-2.
Kansas City (41-28) jumped out to the big lead in Duffy's first game
off the disabled list. Duffy only allowed two runs (one earned) over
4 2/3 innings in a no-decision.
"All in all, it was a great night," first baseman Eric Hosmer said.
"It was good to get the win, and it was great to see Duffy back to
the norm."
Reliever Ryan Madson (1-1) earned the victory after pitching 1 1/3
innings of scoreless relief. It was his first win since September
2011.
"I'd rather let Duffy have it," a jovial Madson said afterward. "He
obviously earned it more than I did. He set the tone and made it
easy for us to pitch."
Kansas City's offense made it easy for Duffy to pitch after the top
of the fourth. He took the mound again with a 7-0 lead and never had
to worry about letting the Mariners back in the game.
"It was awesome," he said of the Royals' big rally. "That's what
we're capable of doing. It's getting to the point where it happens
so often, but it never ceases to amaze me."
All five hits and seven runs charged to Seattle starter Roenis Elias
(4-5) came in the fourth inning. He retired Kansas City's first nine
batters in order through the first three innings before things fell
apart in the top of the fourth. Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas
hit a two-run homer to open the scoring, and second baseman Omar
Infante added a bases-clearing triple.
"(Elias) was throwing a whale of a ballgame and just fell apart in
the fourth inning," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "We
couldn't get him back together. ... I can't explain it. No one in
that locker room can explain it. He just lost it."
Infante and shortstop Alcides Escobar had three hits apiece as
Kansas City piled up 13 for the game. The Royals recorded at least
13 hits for the 17th time this season; they have double-digit hits
in eight of the past 10 games.
Seattle (33-40) had nine hits in the loss but was held to two runs
or fewer for the 13th time in 23 games this month. The Mariners
finished their eight-game homestand against playoff contenders San
Francisco, Houston and Kansas City with a 4-4 record.
In the fourth, the Royals erupted for their first six hits.
Moustakas gave Kansas City a 2-0 lead with his seventh homer of the
season, and Infante's triple made it 5-0. Center fielder Jarrod
Dyson, the ninth batter in the inning, drove in Infante for a 6-0
lead to chase Elias from the mound.
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Escobar added his second hit of the inning, and the Royals' third
double in a row, off reliever Vidal Nuno to give Kansas City a 7-0
lead.
"Moose (Moustakas) got it going for us," Hosmer said. "When we're
struggling, that's what seems to happen. That let us exhale a little
bit. That really shifted the momentum to our side for the rest of
the game."
Elias lasted only 3 2/3 innings, the second time in three starts
that he failed to make it out of the fourth.
Moustakas extended his hitting streak to nine games, the longest
current stretch on the team.
In the fifth, Seattle finally got on the board on a sacrifice fly
from veteran outfielder Franklin Gutierrez, called up from Triple-A
earlier in the day to make his 2015 debut. Gutierrez also had a
third-inning single in his first major league game since September
2013.
"All in all, it was a tough day," McClendon said, "but there were
some good things as well."
The best thing for Kansas City might have been Duffy's return. The
lefty gave up eight hits and struck out four without issuing a walk.
"I felt like it went pretty good," Duffy said. "I'm pretty happy to
be able to contribute for the first time in a long while."
NOTES: Royals CF Lorenzo Cain was not in the lineup due to what
manager Ned Yost called a "very slight" hamstring injury. Yost added
that Cain should be back in action for Friday's series opener in
Oakland. ... To make room for LHP Danny Duffy's return from the
disabled list, the Royals optioned RHP Michael Mariot to Triple-A
Omaha. ... Seattle called up OF Franklin Gutierrez, giving the
32-year-old right-handed hitter another shot after his career was
nearly derailed by a series of injuries. The Mariners optioned OF
James Jones to Triple-A Tacoma. ... Kansas City RHP Yordano Ventura
(ulnar neuritis) is scheduled to make a rehab start for Triple-A
Omaha on Friday. ... Both the Royals and Mariners have Thursday off.
Seattle begins a 10-day trip with a three-game series that starts
Friday in Anaheim.
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