Tyler Wells held the Kansas City Royals to one run in a career-high six innings as the host Baltimore Orioles benefited from one big scoring burst in a 6-1 victory Monday afternoon.
A six-run fifth inning supported the first victory for Wells (1-2) since June 18. He had lost his past five decisions dating to last summer.
Baltimore won the rubber game of the three-game series after the teams split Sunday’s doubleheader, with the Royals claiming the opener. The Orioles have won back-to-back games for the fourth time this season and are 4-1 in their last five.
Kansas City starter Carlos Hernandez (0-2) took the loss, unable to get through fifth. He was charged with all six runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out two.
The big inning came with just four hits accompanied by a list of Kansas City miscues. Jorge Mateo and Trey Mancini rapped run-scoring singles, and Ryan Mountcastle drove in two more with a single.
Other runs scored on a throwing error and one of the two wild pitches in the inning. The uprising began when Tyler Nevin drew a one-out walk and Anthony Bemboom doubled.
The Royals managed just five hits off Wells, who struck out three and didn’t issue a walk. Salvador Perez’s double was the lone extra-base hit. He had two of the team’s six hits.
Kansas City’s run came on Ryan O’Hearn’s two-out single in the first inning after Bobby Witt Jr. singled and stole second.
The Royals loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth, but Joey Krehbiel entered from the bullpen to douse the threat.
Mancini notched three hits for the Orioles, who concluded a 10-game homestand with a 6-4 record.
Baltimore’s Austin Hays was the game’s only other player with more than one hit, going 2-for-3. Hays has a six-game hitting streak with a 12-for-21 mark during that stretch.
This game came on a scheduled off day for both teams but was added as a makeup following rainouts Friday and Saturday.
–Field Level Media
