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Aoki's grand slam helps Royals rout D-backs

Aug 6, 2014 - 5:07 AM Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Nori Aoki's grand slam helped fuel an eight- run fifth inning and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 12-2, in the opener of a three-game set on Tuesday.

Billy Butler finished 4-for-5 with a three-run homer and two runs scored and Salvador Perez also drove in three runs with a homer among his three hits for the Royals, who have won five of their last six games.

"We scored 10 runs in three swings of the bat," said Royals manager Ned Yost. "I'll take that."

Danny Duffy (6-10) won his first game in his last six starts after surrendering just one run on three hits with seven strikeouts in five innings.

Mark Trumbo provided two hits and an RBI for Arizona, which entered the game with seven wins in its last eight games against Kansas City.

Starter Wade Miley (7-8) gave up 10 runs on nine hits and three walks over 4 2/3 frames.

"It was just not a good night for us all around. We didn't pitch well or play good defense," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson. "It's a game we would quickly like to forget."

Jordan Pacheco hit a ground-rule double to left-center field with one out in the opening frame, moved to third on Duffy's wild pitch and scored on Trumbo's single to left.

Kansas City went ahead in the third. Alcides Escobar singled and Aoki walked before Perez smacked a three-run blast to left for a 3-1 lead.

The Royals pulled away following their eight-run fifth. Omar Infante and Perez both hit one-out singles before Butler belted a 2-2 fastball over the wall in left-center field. Alex Gordon singled, moved to second on Lorenzo Cain's walk, took third on Mike Moustakas' fly out and scored on Miley's wild pitch.

Escobar was intentionally walked and Duffy struck out swinging, but reached after Miley's strike was a wild pitch to load the bases. Bo Schultz took the mound and was greeted by Aoki's first-pitch grand slam just over the wall in right for an 11-1 lead.

Arizona pushed across a run in the eighth. Ender Inciarte singled, advanced to second on defensive indifference and scored on Didi Gregorius' groundout.

Cain's sacrifice fly in the ninth accounted for the final score.

Game Notes

The Royals' 12 runs are the most they've scored this season ... Aoki hit his first career grand slam and his first home run with the Royals ... Gordon's fifth-inning single was his 1,000th career hit ... Trumbo played in his 500th career game ... It is the first time that the Royals have played at Chase Field since 2008 ... The Royals first four batters accumulated 10 hits, 10 RBI, three home runs and seven runs scored ... Miley had allowed just one home run in his previous seven starts.