By MATT PIKE
Leody Taveras homered and drove in three runs, Samuel Basallo added a solo shot, and tempers flared as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 8-2 at Camden Yards for a three game sweep.
The Royals took a lead in the top of the second inning, Isaac Collins RBI triple driving in Josh Rojas. But in the bottom half of the inning the Orioles took the lead when Taveras hit a two-run home run off Royals starter Seth Lugo, scoring Blaze Alexander. He also singled in the tiebreaking run during a five-run sixth that put Baltimore up 7-2.
The two runs were all Lugo gave up, pitching just four innings and giving up four hits and striking out six while walking two. He left the game with a no decision after the Royals tied things up in the third inning on an RBI single by Lane Thomas, bringing home Bobby Witt Jr., tying the game at 2-2. The scored stayed tied until the sixth inning when after striking out Basallo to open the inning, Strahm ran into trouble.
Baltimore's big sixth inning was fueled by a fly ball that Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone lost in the sun and a balk that forced in a run. Strahm walked Alexander and Tyler O Neill singled to right, the hit which Caglianone appeared to lose in the sun, and Taveras singled to center field driving in Alexander for the go ahead run. Jeremiah Jackson's pinch-hit RBI double brought home O'Neill, and a balk by Strahm scored Taveras for a 5-2 Orioles lead.
Gunnar Henderson singled home Jackson extending the lead, and Strahm was pulled from the game for John Schreiber, who got the second out of the inning, after walking Taylor Ward, but then gave up an RBI single to Pete Alonso, driving in Henderson, Alonso though would be thrown out at second base by Caglianone for the final out of the inning. In the seventh inning, Lucas Erceg surrendered the final run giving up the solo home run to Basallo.
The game was interrupted in the seventh inning when several players from both teams converged around the plate after Kansas City's Lucas Erceg hit Blaze Alexander on the left hand with a pitch. The off-target pitch came immediately after Erceg yielded Basallo's home run. Alexander shouted at Erceg, and Orioles manager Craig Albernaz quickly stepped in to restrain Alexander. Players from both dugouts and bullpens approached, but no punches were thrown, no one was shoved and no one was ejected. But Albernaz revealed after the game that Alexander has a nondisplaced fracture of his left hand.
Strahm fell to 3-3 on the season piching 0.1 of an inning giving up five runs on four hits with a strikeout and a walk. At the plate, Thomas went 3-for-4 with double and an RBI. Collins was 1-for-4 with the triple and an RBI. Witt Jr. was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
The Royals were swept for the eighth time this season, the most in the majors. On a five game losing streak now, the loss put Kansas City, the last-place team in the league, a season-high 21 games under .500.
After the All-Star break, Kansas City resumes play Friday night at home against San Diego.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.