(TSX / STATS) — SAN DIEGO — The Kansas City Royals continued their home run assault on the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park.
Mike Moustakas hit two, driving in four runs. Eric Hosmer hit his second in as many games for two of his three RBIs. Alex Gordon added a solo shot.
Seven of the Royals’ runs in the 8-3, rubber-match victory over the Padres came on home runs. Kansas City hit 10 home runs in the three-game, interleague set to account for 18 of its 23 runs.
Even so, the first player Royals manager Ned Yost acknowledged in his postgame analysis was rookie starting pitcher Jake Junis, who got the win.
“Jake gave us exactly what we needed,” said Yost. “It was exactly what the doctor ordered, seven innings from Jake and an off day tomorrow. The offense gave us a big lead, and Junis pitched on the attack. He executed pitches and had a really good slider.
“He held the fort for us.”
Although Junis and Padres starter Dinelson Lamet each surrendered three homers, Junis carried the matchup of rookie right-handers.
Junis (2-0) allowed three runs on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts in seven-plus innings. Cory Spangenberg hit two of the three homers off Junis, who departed after Jose Pirela opened the eighth with a homer.
Lamet (2-2) allowed seven runs on six hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out six.
After going 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his first two starts, Lamet is 0-2 and has allowed 16 runs (14 earned) on 11 hits and six walks over eight innings in his two most recent outings.
The Royals, who belted five home runs Saturday, resumed their homer barrage in the first inning Sunday. Moustakas connected on a three-run blast that capped a four-run burst, accentuating another recent San Diego problem.
Lamet retired the first two hitters he faced … then found himself down 4-0 before he got out of the first. It marked the fifth time in five games that a Padres pitcher retired the first two hitters in an inning before multiple runs were scored ahead of the final out.
Lorenzo Cain drew a two-out walk in the first, and he advanced to third on two wild pitches before scoring on a Hosmer single. Salvador Perez followed with a single ahead of Moustakas’ 405-foot drive into the right field seats.
“Lamet struggled with his command,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “When you can’t command your fastball, it’s tough to pitch in this league. And he struggled out of the stretch.”
Moustakas hit his second homer of the game — and 17th of the season — off left-handed reliever Jose Torres in the ninth. It was the third baseman’s fifth multi-homer game of his career and first of the season.
“Moose is really locked in,” Yost said. “He is really putting together a great season this year power-wise. He is really seeing the ball well and driving it to all fields with power.”
Moustakas said, “I’m still missing mistakes. I’ve been fortunate this year that things are going out of the park. It’s been pretty good to this point.”
Spangenberg’s first homer cut the Royals’ lead to 5-1. The second came when the Royals led 7-1.
Pirela’s drive into the left field seats leading off the eighth — making him 11-for-22 with three doubles, two homers and five RBIs since he was promoted from Triple-A El Paso last Tuesday — ended Junis’ third major league start.
“I knew the bullpen had been getting used a little,” Junis said. “I wanted to give them a break going into the off day. I felt my off-speed was a little sharper today and I was locating my fastball better. I was getting ahead and staying ahead.”
NOTES: Royals C Salvador Perez departed in the fifth inning due to tightness on the left side of his rib cage. It is not considered a serious injury. “He just took a swing and felt a little tightness,” manager Ned Yost said of Perez. “We’re not taking any chances with him.” … The Padres promoted RHP Phil Maton from Triple-A El Paso, and he debuted with a 1-2-3 inning. Maton had a 2.84 ERA in Triple-A and was tied for the Pacific Coast League lead in saves with 13. … San Diego optioned RHP Kevin Quackenbush to El Paso to make room on the 25-man roster and designated RHP Jake Esch for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Photo credit – Gregory Bull / Associated Press / San Diego, CA