BALTIMORE (AP) — Though the Baltimore Orioles haven’t had much cause for celebration this season, they still remember what to do in the wake of a victory.
Mark Trumbo delivered a tiebreaking, two-run single in the eighth inning, Chris Davis homered and Baltimore beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 Wednesday night to end a seven-game losing streak.
Jonathan Schoop had two hits and scored twice for the Orioles, who lost 18 of their previous 21 games.
“One game, it’s good to come in the clubhouse and have people feel good about themselves and shake hands and listen to some form of music I had nothing to do with picking out,” manager Buck Showalter said with a thin smile.
Davis took extra batting practice before the game, and ended up ripping an opposite-field, three-run drive in the fourth inning to give Baltimore a 3-2 lead.
“Chris has got a couple adjustments that he’s trying to make and it’s looked good,” Showalter said. “He had a big blow for us tonight.”
Lucas Duda homered and drove in three runs for the Royals.
With two outs in the eighth, Manny Machado legged out a slow roller to third base for an infield single and Schoop sent him to third with a double. Trumbo then hit a liner up the middle that knocked Kansas City pitcher Kevin McCarthy (3-1) off his feet.
“It felt great. Happy to come through,” Trumbo said. “I think we played a nice game tonight. Did a lot of things really well.”
McCarthy absorbed his first loss in 55 big league appearances.
“I made some mistakes to Schoop, then just too middle of the plate to Trumbo,” he lamented.
Richard Bleier (3-0) worked two innings and Brad Brach got three outs for his fourth save, striking out Jon Jay to end it with runners on second and third.
Orioles starter Andrew Cashner gave up three runs and six hits in six innings, his sixth straight outing without a win.
Kansas City rookie Eric Skoglund allowed three runs and five hits over 6 1/3 innings in his 11th career start.
“I thought Skoglund threw the ball great,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “The one mistake to Davis, he’s such a strong hitter he powered it out the other way.”
In the bottom half, singles by Adam Jones and Schoop preceded a two-out shot by Davis.
Kansas City tied it in the sixth when Jorge Soler doubled and scored on a two-out bloop single by Duda. The Royals then loaded the bases before Cashner retired Alcides Escobar on a comebacker.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: CF Abraham Almonte left in the sixth with an illness. … RHP Justin Grimm (lower back stiffness) is getting closer to starting a rehabilitation assignment. On the DL since April 22, he threw live batting practice on Tuesday. “Felt really good, looked really good,” Yost said.
Orioles: Relief pitcher Darren O’Day was placed on the 10-day DL with a hyperextended right elbow. … Baltimore closer Zach Britton (Achilles tendon) threw a bullpen. Showalter said Bundy could pitch in a minor league game before the end of the month, but “probably” not before May 28.
LOSING HURTS
Baltimore’s rocky start has been tough on everyone in the organization, including Showalter. “This game can beat up on anybody,” he said. “I didn’t need to have the period we’re in right now to remind me of that.”
UP NEXT
Royals: Ian Kennedy (1-3, 2.92 ERA) starts Thursday for the Royals, who will seek to win their second series of the year. Kennedy is 0-2 with a 6.98 ERA in five career appearances against Baltimore.
Orioles: Chris Tillman (1-5, 9.24) has yielded at least four runs in four of his five starts. In his last outing, the right-hander gave up seven runs and seven hits in one inning against the Angels.
Photo credit – Patrick Semansky / Associated Press / Baltimore, MD