Blue Jays’ talented kids conquer Royals again
KANSAS CITY — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a grand slam in the ninth inning to give him a career-high five RBIs, Sean Reid-Foley tossed five innings of four-hit ball, and the Toronto Blue Jays pounded the Kansas City Royals 9-2 on Tuesday night.
Freddy Galvis drove in a pair of runs with a broken-bat single, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. also had an RBI for the Blue Jays, who clinched their first winning series at Kauffman Stadium since April 2013.
Meanwhile, the Royals stranded 14 while going 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Reid-Foley (1-1), making just his third start of the season, dominated the Royals much as he did in late June. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed four hits and walked four while striking out four, and if not for a pitch count that had already reached 92, he might have gone farther.
No problem. The Blue Jays’ bullpen — and Guerrero’s big blow — took any drama out of things.
The Royals’ Mike Montgomery (1-4) failed to build off a solid start against Cleveland his last time out, getting tagged for two runs in the first and never getting in a groove. The recently acquired left-hander allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk while failing to escape the fifth.
His trouble began with the very first batter, Bo Bichette, who ripped a clean single. Four of the first five Toronto batters wound up reaching base, putting the Royals in a 2-0 hole.
Montgomery dodged more trouble in the third before Galvis, scratched from the series opener with back tightness, cracked his bat while dumping a pitch into left field for a two-run single in the fifth.
The Royals would have loved such timely hitting.
They left the bags loaded in the first when Cheslor Cuthbert flied out, then stranded runners each of the next five frames. And when Hunter Dozier led off the seventh with a single, Jorge Soler popped out and Ryan O’Hearn grounded into a double play — so at least they didn’t strand anyone.
Mariners 8, Rangers 5
ARLINGTON, Texas — Kyle Seager had a solo homer, a tiebreaking two-run triple and drove in four runs as the Seattle Mariners stretched their winning streak to six games with an 8-5 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.
Domingo Santana hit his 21st homer for the Mariners (47-63), who matched their longest winning streak this year. They also won six in a row in April, during their 13-2 start to the season before an extended slump that dropped them to the bottom of the AL West.
Sam Tuivailala (1-0) pitched 1 ⁄ scoreless innings in relief of starter Mike Leake, who allowed 10 hits and five runs in 5 ⁄ innings. Roenis Elias worked the ninth for his 14th save in 16 chances.
Texas lost for the 18th time in 25 games and has an overall losing record for the first time since May 27. The Rangers (53-54) peaked at 10 games over .500 and were in position for one of the American League’s two wild-card spots a month ago, before their current slide.