Final
Zobrist hits 2 HRs, Royals beat Jays 7-6
Aug 2, 2015 - 4:20 PM TORONTO (AP) After a big win over the Blue Jays, it was slow jam time in the Kansas City Royals clubhouse. Seated around a table in the middle of the room, Kendrys Morales and Danny Duffy gave a spirited sing-along to Whitney Houston's `I Will Always Love You.''Maybe they were dedicating it to new teammate Ben Zobrist.
Zobrist hit solo home runs from both sides of the plate, Eric Hosmer singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Royals beat Toronto 7-6 on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak.
''We had to have this one today,'' Royals manager Ned Yost said. ''We had to.''
Zobrist, who went 3 for 4 and scored three runs, homered from the right side in the first and doubled and scored in the sixth.
''It feels incredible,'' Zobrist said. ''You try and put good swings on the ball from both sides of the plate when you have to switch around during the game but it's tough.''
Yordano Ventura (6-7) gave up five runs and six hits in seven innings to win back-to-back starts for the first time since April.
''I thought he threw the ball great,'' Yost said. ''These guys are hotter than heck and their power is amazing.''
Wade Davis worked the eighth and Greg Holland pitched around a walk and a single for his 23rd save. Josh Donaldson grounded out to end it, stranding the tying run at third as Toronto fell to 11-23 in one-run games.
Facing new Blue Jays reliever Mark Lowe, Zobrist turned around to the left side and tied it at 5 with a drive to right. Lorenzo Cain doubled and scored on Hosmer's base hit, Kendrys Morales singled Hosmer to third and Salvador Perez hit a sacrifice fly.
Lowe (0-2) was charged with three runs after allowing just four in 34 prior appearances this season.
''That's not going to make or break his career in Toronto,'' manager John Gibbons said of Lowe's difficult debut.
Jose Bautista hit two solo homers and Josh Donaldson added a two-run drive, but Toronto's winning streak ended at three.
Bautista connected off Davis in the eighth, the first home run allowed by the Royals reliever in 125 2-3 innings. Davis hadn't given up a homer since Washington's Ian Desmond hit one off him on Aug. 24, 2013, Davis' most recent start.
''Wade is the best setup man in the game,'' Yost said. ''That's not even arguable. He really does a great job of limiting the extra base hits.''
Edwin Encarnacion almost went back-to-back with Bautista, but his drive to center was caught on the warning track.
Toronto's Mark Buehrle set down 15 of 16 following Zobrist's one-out drive in the first.
Ventura started even stronger, retiring the first 11 batters he faced. That streak ended when the Blue Jays strung together four straight singles in the fourth, including RBI hits by Justin Smoak and Dioner Navarro.
Toronto made it 5-1 in the fifth on back-to-back home runs by Donaldson, a two-run drive into the second deck, and Bautista. It was the sixth time this season the Blue Jays have hit consecutive home runs.
Kansas City answered in the sixth when Buehrle's throwing error opened the door for a three-run rally. Hosmer extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a two-run single and Kendrys Morales drove in the third run with a base hit to right.
A four-time Gold Glove winner, Buehrle said he was embarrassed by his error.
''It kind of unfolded after that,'' he said.
Buehrle allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings.
The Blue Jays capped a busy week of trade deadline activity with a flurry or roster moves before the game, adding Lowe and outfielder Ben Revere, acquired Friday from Seattle and Philadelphia.
Toronto also recalled infielder Munenori Kawasaki from Triple-A Buffalo and optioned right-hander Ryan Tepera to Buffalo. Infielder Danny Valencia and outfielder Eqezuiel Carrera were designated for assignment.
LEFT AND RIGHT
Before Zobrist, Wilson Betemit was the previous Royals player to homer from both sides of the plate, doing it June 10, 2010 at Minnesota.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals: Davis returned after sitting out Friday's loss with a sore back.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez (10-5, 3.21 ERA) seeks his third straight victory as he faces Toronto for the second time this season. He gave up four runs in 5 1-3 innings against the Blue Jays on July 12, but only run one was earned.
Blue Jays: RHP R.A. Dickey (5-10, 4.27 ERA) will pitch on three days of rest in spot left vacant when LHP Felix Doubront was designated for assignment. Dickey moved up so new LHP David Price could get an extra day before his Toronto debut Monday against Minnesota.
- KANSAS CITY: 7
TORONTO: 6
Final
Aug 1 3:39 PM - S.Perez hit a sacrifice fly to left fielder Revere, Hosmer scored.
Royals 7, Blue Jays 5 Top 8, 2 OutsAug 1 3:02 PM - Salvador Perez out on a sacrifice fly to left field to Ben Revere. Eric Hosmer scores.
Royals 7, Blue Jays 5 Top 8, 1 OutAug 1 3:02 PM - Eric Hosmer singles to left center field. Lorenzo Cain scores.
Royals 6, Blue Jays 5 Top 8, 1 OutAug 1 2:57 PM - K.Morales singled to right, L.Cain scored, Hosmer to third.
Royals 4, Blue Jays 5 Top 6, 1 OutAug 1 2:29 PM - Kendrys Morales singles to right center field. Eric Hosmer to third. Lorenzo Cain scores.
Royals 4, Blue Jays 5 Top 6, 1 OutAug 1 2:29 PM - Hosmer singled to right, A.Escobar scored, Zobrist scored, L.Cain to third.
Royals 3, Blue Jays 5 Top 6, 1 OutAug 1 2:28 PM - Eric Hosmer singles to right field. Lorenzo Cain to third. Ben Zobrist scores. Alcides Escobar scores.
Royals 3, Blue Jays 5 Top 6, 1 OutAug 1 2:28 PM - Donaldson homered to left on a 1-0 count, Goins scored.
Royals 1, Blue Jays 4 Bot 5, 2 OutsAug 1 2:15 PM - Josh Donaldson homers to left field. Ryan Goins scores.
Royals 1, Blue Jays 4 Bot 5, 2 OutsAug 1 2:14 PM - D.Navarro singled to right, Encarnacion scored, Smoak to second.
Royals 1, Blue Jays 2 Bot 4, 2 OutsAug 1 1:58 PM - Dioner Navarro singles to right field. Justin Smoak to second. Edwin Encarnacion scores.
Royals 1, Blue Jays 2 Bot 4, 2 OutsAug 1 1:58 PM - Smoak singled to right, Bautista scored, Encarnacion to third.
Royals 1, Blue Jays 1 Bot 4, 2 OutsAug 1 1:56 PM - Justin Smoak singles to right field. Edwin Encarnacion to third. Jose Bautista scores.
Royals 1, Blue Jays 1 Bot 4, 2 OutsAug 1 1:56 PM - Alcides Escobar grounds out to third base, Josh Donaldson to Justin Smoak.
Aug 1 1:08 PM - KANSAS CITY: 0
TORONTO: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Aug 1 1:08 PM
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