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Royals beat Orioles 4-3 before crowd of 9,299

May 18, 2010 - 3:06 AM By DAVID GINSBURG AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE(AP) -- Those few brave souls who showed up on a wet, chilly night to watch the worst two teams in the American League saw a game that typified the recent performances of the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles.

Kyle Davies allowed two runs in six innings, and the Royals defeated the Orioles 4-3 on Monday night for their third win in four games under new manager Ned Yost.

A crowd of 9,299 - second-smallest in the 19-year history of Camden Yards - braved miserable weather for a game between two last-place teams. The all-time low attendance at the stadium was 9,129, last month when Baltimore hosted Tampa Bay.

Kansas City started the day with the league's second-worst record (14-24) behind the Orioles (12-26). But the resurgent Royals now need only to win Tuesday to take a second straight series for the first time this season.

"I like the way the offense is swinging the bat," Yost said. "We hit some balls hard and just missed some balls."

And the weather? Yost liked that, too.

"We have played the last three, four nights in muddy weather and it's been sloppy out there," he said. "I'm coming to find out we're pretty good mudders."

Baltimore, on the other hand, lost its third straight. The Orioles were again burned by poor situational hitting, going 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.

That one hit was a first-inning swinging bunt by Miguel Tejada that was slowed by the wet grass and brought home Corey Patterson, who scored all three Baltimore runs.

"There's nothing for me to say other than the fact that we're getting the opportunities and we're not cashing them in," manager Dave Trembley said.

Royals closer Joakim Soria worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth for his 10th save. After striking out Ty Wigginton for the second out, Soria retired Miguel Tejada on a grounder to second.

"I didn't come through," said Wigginton, who earlier had two RBIs.

"We're down by a run in the ninth and we've got ourselves in a position to win the game with the right guys up at the right time," Trembley said, "and it didn't happen."

Baltimore is 2-23 when scoring fewer than four runs and is batting .120 with runners in scoring position during its 27 defeats.

Davies (3-2) gave up seven hits and a walk to earn his first win in four starts since April 26. The right-hander yielded two singles in each of his first three innings, then retired nine of the final 11 batters he faced.

After the bullpen made sure his effort was not for naught, the Royals had another victory to celebrate in the early days of the Yost regime.

"I feel like we're playing more fundamental baseball," said Billy Butler, who had two RBIs. "Guys are getting timely hits and guys are pitching good. And when guys are pitching good, you have a chance to win ball games."

The Royals went up 3-2 in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, Tejada fielded Yuniesky Betancourt's grounder to third, struggled to get the ball out of his glove and threw to first as a run scored.

Kansas City chased starter Brad Bergesen (3-3) and added another run in the seventh on an RBI double by Butler.

Baltimore closed to 4-3 in the seventh when Wigginton hit into a fielder's choice to bring Patterson in from third.

Kansas City got a first-inning run when Scott Podsednik walked, stole second and scored on a single by Butler. In the bottom half, Patterson reached on a bunt and came home on Tejada's two-out infield single.

An error, a double by Betancourt and a two-out balk by Bergesen helped the Royals take a 2-1 lead in the second.

Baltimore tied it in the fifth when Patterson walked, stole second, continued to third on a throwing error by catcher Jason Kendall and scored on a groundout by Wigginton.

NOTES: Bergesen had won three straight starts ... Tejada has 13 multihit games in his last 24 games. ... Butler had his team-high 17th multihit game.