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Gordon, Royals crown Cardinals

Jun 28, 2008 - 4:12 AM By Alan Eskew PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) - The Kansas City Royals continued their mastery of the National League.

Alex Gordon homered and matched his career high with four RBI as the Royals recorded a 7-2 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday to win their season-high sixth straight and 11 of 12, all against National League clubs.

Starter Gil Meche (6-8) pitched seven strong innings to win his third straight start. He allowed one run and six hits, while walking one and striking out one. David DeJesus, who had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, drove in three runs.

The Royals are a major league-best 13-3 in interleague play. They won all four games they've played this season against the cross-state rival Cardinals, who dropped to 5-8 in interleague play.

"I didn't even know it was six games," Gordon said of the Royals' winning streak. "We're just going out doing our job and having fun. We had that stretch (12-game losing streak in May), it was almost like what is going to happen next. It just kept going downhill. Now it's the other way, everything is working well."

After loading the bases with one out in the first and failing to score, Gordon made sure that did not happen again in the second inning. Gordon's bases-loaded double to right scored Ross Gload, Joey Gathright and DeJesus.

"I'm just going to the plate, trying to be patient and waiting for my pitch," Gordon said. "Hitting in the three hole, your job is to drive guys in and that's what I'm trying to do. I saw a couple of changeups to start and when I got two strikes, I was sitting on that. He left one up and I was able to hook it down the line."

DeJesus singled home John Buck, who had doubled, with the first run of the inning. DeJesus also contributed a two-run double with two out in the eighth off lefthander Ron Villone.

Gordon belted his 10th homer of the season to lead off the fifth to give Kansas City a 5-0 advantage. It was Gordon's third four-RBI game and his first this season.

Meche did not allow a run until Troy Glaus led off the seventh with a home run on the first pitch. He worked out of a first-inning jam when Skip Schumaker singled and stopped at third on Rick Ankiel's two-out double. Glaus popped up to Buck in the corner of the Royals' dugout to end the threat.

"I wasn't as sharp," Meche said. "It's just one of those games I was glad to get through it. I didn't feel extremely good coming out of the 'pen. I had a rough first inning and obviously some great plays. (Mark) Teahen made a great catch. I just kept throwing strikes. I couldn't quite put guys away."

He worked out of a first-inning jam when Skip Schumaker singled and stopped at third on Rick Ankiel's two-out double. In between, Mark Teahen made a leaping catch of Albert Pujols' drive to the right-field wall. Glaus popped up to Buck in the corner of the Royals' dugout to end the threat.

"Teahen making that catch squelched their momentum," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "He's fighting the sun big time and his shades are on. He's trying to feel his way for the wall, knows he is going to hit it and catches the ball right before he hits it. It was a great watch."

"If he doesn't catch that ball, it's a different game and momentum is totally in their hands," Meche said. "I wasn't sharp in the first, but got it going later on."

Glaus, who had three of St. Louis' 10 hits, stroked a run-producing single in the eighth off lefthander Ron Mahay.

Joel Pineiro (2-4) took the loss and finished 0-3 in four starts in June. In 7 2/3 innings, he allowed seven runs on 10 hits, five for extra bases.

"Give him (Pineiro) credit, but at the same time he's the losing pitcher and we're the losing team, so I don't think you can give him an A-plus," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "He went deep in the game, but at the same time he made a couple of mistakes that cost us four runs on pitches to their third baseman (Gordon). Those early mistakes gave them some early momentum. We had a chance in the first. Meche shut us down."

Pineiro said Gordon's three-run double was the key.

"All the hits they got that inning were up," Pineiro said. "The fastball was up, the curveball was up, the change up was up. I wanted to get the ball on the ground. In the second inning I felt fine. They just got the key hit."