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Royals edge Blue Jays to split series

Jun 9, 2011 - 11:48 PM Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Jeff Francoeur had a two-run single as part of a three-run third inning, and the Kansas City Royals held on for a 3-2 victory over Toronto in the finale of a four-game set at Kauffman Stadium.

Eric Hosmer added an RBI single for the Royals, who were able to earn a split in the series and won for only the second time in their last eight games overall.

Luke Hochevar (4-6) worked seven effective innings, allowing two runs on six hits to pick up his first win since defeating Minnesota on May 1. The right- hander walked three and struck out three. Joakim Soria got out of a bases- loaded jam in the ninth to record his eighth save of the season.

J.P Arencibia accounted for the offense with a two-run triple for Toronto, which has split its last eight games.

Ricky Romero (5-6) was the hard-luck loser despite tossing his fifth career complete game. The left-hander surrendered three runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out four in eight frames.

Neither side generated any significant scoring chances in the first two innings, but Kansas City put three up in the third.

Matt Treanor was hit by a pitch leading off and Alcides Escobar reached with an infield single. After the next two batters were retired on fielder's choices, Hosmer's bloop single to right plated one and he advanced to second on a throwing error. Francoeur then blooped a two-run base hit to right.

Arencibia's two-run triple high off the left-field wall in the fourth got the Blue Jays within 3-2.

"They bunched their hits together to score the three runs on a couple of pitches that were up in the strike zone," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "Yet we answer right back with two of our own and still created a couple of legitimate scoring opportunities in the last two innings and yet the win is elusive as we stand here right now."

Hochevar worked out of trouble in the fifth when he got Corey Patterson to bounce into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, and Toronto stranded another runner in the sixth.

Kansas City stranded a man on third in the seventh, and the Blue Jays left two in scoring position in the eighth off reliever Aaron Crow.

Wilson Betemit grounded into a double play in the bottom half of the eighth and Soria came on for the ninth. The right-hander, who was temporarily removed from the closer role after blowing five saves, retired the first batter before giving up a base hit to Edwin Encarnacion.

Pinch-hitter Juan Rivera followed with a single and Jayson Nix went down on strikes. Mike McCoy then worked a walk to load the bases, but Patterson popped out to third to end the game.

"We have a knack of keeping it real interesting," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We did that just about all day today. Jack (Joakim Soria) did it. (Aaron) Crow did it. Luke (Hochevar) did it on occasion. But they got the job done and that's what is important. It was good to get that monkey off Jack's back to get that first save after all that mess he's been through and let him get on a good roll."

Game Notes

Kansas City split its six games with the Jays a year ago...Romero has pitched seven innings or more in each of his last six starts...Hochevar improved to 3-1 lifetime against Toronto.