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 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.
The Orioles won four of five as they work to stay alive in the
American League wild card race. They won consecutive series for the
first time since late July.
"This is such a snowball time of year," Orioles manager Buck
Showalter said. "I said it before. Things can get going really one
way or the other. We have to keep the carrot out there.
"We got 20 games left and we're going to try to win every one of
them. If you watch the way our guys are going about their business,
that's their idea as much as mine."
Center fielder Adam Jones homered, doubled and drove in four runs,
and first baseman Chris Davis also homered for Baltimore (69-73),
which began the day six games out of the second wild card spot.
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.
"In the past two starts maybe I was trying too hard, or maybe I was
kind of overthinking and I couldn't stay calm," Chen said through an
interpreter. "So today I was just focusing on my pitching."
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.
"Best inning he had was third inning when he went out and
established his fastball," manager Ned Yost said of Cueto's lone
1-2-3 frame. "But every other inning it was more secondary stuff
than fastball."
His ERA over his last five outings is 9.57, and Sunday night Cueto
equaled his career high with four home runs allowed.
"I'm going to continue to do what I've always done and that's work
hard, try to finish the season strong and when the bell rings in the
playoffs I'm going to be there for this club," Cueto said through an
interpreter.
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.
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The Orioles jumped on the struggling Cueto for three runs in the
first. 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
that stretched the Orioles' lead to 5-2.
Both homers came on 1-0 counts.
"Cueto's a really good pitcher and if you get a good pitch first
pitch, second pitch, you better take advantage of it," he said.
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.
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 have dropped three straight series for the first time this
year.
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