masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgAs the longball returned to the Orioles’ offense tonight, so did some runs and so did a win.
The Orioles hit three homers against Kansas City ace Johnny Cueto and five on the night as they beat the Royals 8-5 at Kauffman Stadium to improve to 63-63.
During their season-high six-game losing steak that ended tonight, the Orioles hit a total of two homers and scored three runs or less each time. Tonight, they hit three homers over a three-inning stretch.
This is the Orioles’ second biggest game…

As the longball returned to the Orioles’ offense tonight, so did some runs and so did a win.

The Orioles hit three homers against Kansas City ace Johnny Cueto and five on the night as they beat the Royals 8-5 at Kauffman Stadium to improve to 63-63.

During their season-high six-game losing steak that ended tonight, the Orioles hit a total of two homers and scored three runs or less each time. Tonight, they hit three homers over a three-inning stretch.

This is the Orioles’ second biggest game of the year for homers (five). They hit a team-record eight on June 16 against Philadelphia.

After Kansas City had taken a 2-0 lead in the second, Manny Machado tied it with one swing in the top of the third. His two-run shot scored Ryan Flaherty, who had singled. Machado, who hit No. 26 on the first pitch, had been 4-for-26 his last six games.

Jonathan Schoop crushed a two-run blast down the left-field line for a 4-2 lead an inning later. Schoop hit No. 10, a 427-foot shot, on a 91 mph cut fastball and a 1-2 count.

davis-swings-grey-sidebar.jpgIn the fifth, Chris Davis blasted a two-run shot to left-center for a 6-2 Orioles lead. Davis ended a 10-game homerless stretch and hit No. 35 on a full-count pitch off Cueto. Davis began tonight 4-for-30 with 16 strikeouts over his past nine games. He ended an 0-for-16 stretch with a second-inning double.

Cueto took the loss to fall to 2-3 with an ERA of 3.95 in six starts for Kansas City. He had allowed just two homers in his first five starts and 35 innings for the Royals. This was the most homers he allowed since he gave up four on Aug. 21, 2010.

Steve Pearce hit the O’s fourth homer of the night when he connected off former Oriole Jeremy Guthrie in the eighth. Pearce’s solo shot made it 7-3. It was his eighth on the season and first since July 11. Ryan Flaherty hit his fifth in the ninth. His solo blast to center off Guthrie made it an 8-5 game. Kansas City had pulled to within 7-5 in the eighth when Mike Moustakas hit a two-run homer off Brian Matusz.

Wei-Yin Chen got the win to improve to 8-6 with an ERA of 3.17. Over 6 2/3 innings, he gave up 10 hits and three runs, allowing three earned runs or less for the 16th time his past 17 outings. In his last four starts, Chen is 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA. Zach Britton pitched a scoreless ninth for his 30th save. He is 15-for-15 in save chances on the road.

This result snapped Kansas City’s eight-game winning streak over the Orioles including the American League Championship Series sweep. The Royals had been 10-4 in their last 14 regular-season games versus the Orioles.

The Orioles are now 1-2 in this series, 13-16 against the AL Central, 11-13 in August and 26-38 in road games.

In the series finale on Thursday afternoon, Chris Tillman (9-8, 4.51 ERA) pitches against right-hander Yordano Ventura (8-7, 4.64 ERA).