KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Chris Young rebounded with a big performance after three poor starts.
Young struck out 10 in six innings, Mike Moustakas homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 Friday night.
Young (1-3), who came in with a 7.90 ERA and had allowed 20 hits in 13 2/3 innings, baffled the Orioles.
“Certainly the last two games, I struggled a little bit,” Young said. “After the game in Oakland, Ned (Yost, Royals manager) called me in the office and said, `I think you are so close to clicking and getting on a roll.’ For him to show that confidence shows more than I can really articulate.”
Young recorded his sixth career double-figure strikeout game and his first since April 24, 2008, when he struck out 10 against San Francisco while with San Diego.
“It’s a function of making good pitches,” Young said. “You’re not throwing the ball expecting a strikeout or swings and misses. If you make enough good pitches, they are a byproduct. To me just winning the game the night I pitch is the most important thing, whether I strike out 27 guys or no batters, I could care less what the strikeouts are.”
Young gave up two runs and four hits, including a sixth inning leadoff home run to Manny Machado, who extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games.
Wade Davis pitched a spotless ninth to log his seventh save in as many chances.
Baltimore starter Yovani Gallardo left after two innings with a shoulder injury.
Moustakas hit his sixth home run on Gallardo’s second pitch with Alcides Escobar aboard. Moustakas had a two-out, RBI double in the second off Gallardo.
“I’m just seeing the ball good right now, just trying to get good pitches to hit and putting good swings on good pitches,” Moustakas said.
Gallardo (1-1) was pulled after complaining of a stiff shoulder, yielding four runs on five hits. It was Gallardo’s shortest outing since April 27, 2012, at St. Louis, when he allowed eight runs on eight hits and two walks.
“It just didn’t feel right,” Gallardo said. “The previous starts in the spring and the previous starts I had during the season, I tried to go out there and hopefully it went away, but as the game went on it just kept getting a little bit worse and worse, each and every pitch that I made. It’s just one of those things; it stinks.”
Manager Buck Showalter said Gallardo would be flying back to Baltimore to be examined by team orthopedist Dr. Michael Jacobs.
“Hopefully it’s nothing serious,” Gallardo said. “I’ll go back to Baltimore tomorrow and see the doctor and go from there.”
MAKE-UP DATE
The Orioles’ rainout Sunday at Texas has been rescheduled for June 20, which will interrupt a scheduled eight-game Camden Yards homestand. “Without a doubt, it’s unfortunate,” Showalter said. “That’s why you try to play the game or you know you’ll have to play it twice. You see so much stress on players and it seems to get worse every year with physical, emotion, mental challenges. You really can understand why people don’t want to hear about start times and travel and getting in late. I’ve said many times we fly and travel really well, but. …”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: LHP Brian Matusz (left intercostal strain) is scheduled to come off the disabled list Saturday. … RHP Kevin Gausman (shoulder strain) will be activated Monday and start at Tampa Bay.
Royals: RHP Kyle Zimmer, the Royals top pitching prospect who was setback by shoulder fatigue in spring training, threw an inning Thursday in Arizona.
WALLACE DUE BACK
Pitching coach Dave Wallace, who has missed four consecutive Baltimore games for personal reasons, could rejoin the club Saturday.
UP NEXT
Orioles: Rookie RHP Tyler Wilson will get his first start of the season, after a 1.13 ERA in three relief appearances. He went 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA in five starts last season.
Royals: RHP Kris Medlen is 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA in three career appearances against the Orioles.
