KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Chris Davis went from looking befuddled at the plate Friday to hiking his batting average 54 points Saturday.
Davis homered among his four hits, Manny Machado extended his hitting streak to 16 games and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 8-3 on Saturday night.
Mark Trumbo had three hits and four RBIs for the Orioles, and Tyler Wilson (1-0) won his first start this season.
Davis, who led the majors with 47 home runs last season, hit his sixth homer in the second inning and had an RBI single during the Orioles’ four-run fourth. He tied a career high for hits and hiked his average from .192 to .246.
“It’s a reminder of how tough guys have to be mentally,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “He struck out three times last night. It was a tough night for all of us. He came back tonight with four hits. That’s Chris.”
Davis hit Kris Medlen‘s first pitch out to lead off the second.
“I wasn’t surprised at all,” Medlen said. “He consistently hits 40-50 homers a year. He’s a good hitter and I left a ball right over the plate, a fastball right down the middle.”
Machado singled in his first at-bat and doubled in a run in the fourth. He is hitting an American League-leading .397.
“The way he’s hitting the ball is kind of a level above,” Trumbo said. “Line drives, he’s able to burn a few of those outfielders because he gets tremendous backspin. His approach has been rock solid. When he’s getting his pitch, he’s doing a lot of damage.”
Medlen (1-1) allowed seven runs and nine hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Trumbo extended his hitting streak to eight games and has 10 RBIs in that time.
Wilson had made three relief appearances this season. He went five-plus innings and allowed three runs and six hits, including Salvador Perez‘s two-run homer in the second.
The Royals loaded the bases in the sixth on Davis’ error, Kendrys Morales‘ single and Alex Gordon‘s walk. Rookie right-hander Mychal Givens, the third Orioles pitcher of the inning, struck out Perez and Omar Infante to end the inning.
“We had a couple of opportunities to crawl back in, but we just couldn’t get a timely hit to push some runs across and make it a different ball game,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.
The Orioles bullpen combined for four scoreless innings and has not allowed a run in the past 13 innings.
KIM’S FIRST
Hyun Soo Kim made his third start in left field. Kim, who drove in 771 runs in 1,131 games in Korea, got his first major league RBI with a second-inning single.
SKID ENDS
Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop ended an 0-for-17 slump with singles in his first two at-bats.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: RHP Yordano Gallardo was placed on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis. Gallardo complained of shoulder soreness in his Friday start, a 4-2 loss to the Royals, and was removed after two innings. He returned to Baltimore and will have an MRI Sunday. … LHP Brian Matusz (left intercostal strain) was activated and pitched in the sixth, retiring one, walking one and allowing a hit.
UP NEXT
Orioles: Rookie RHP Mike Wright, a 2011 third-round pick, will make his third start of the season.
Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura, who is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in four career appearances against the Orioles, will start the season finale.
