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Royals rout Orioles

May 5, 2011 - 10:35 PM Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Melky Cabrera went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs as the Kansas City Royals dominated the Baltimore Orioles, 9-1, in the deciding game of a three-game set.

Chris Getz and Mike Aviles each had two hits and an RBI for the Royals, who got back into the win column after a 3-2 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday that snapped a four-game win streak.

Royals starter Bruce Chen (4-1) was solid in seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits with five strikeouts.

"I felt good and I felt like my teammates did an outstanding job of scoring early and playing real good defense," Chen said.

Adam Jones drove in the lone run for Baltimore, which has lost three of its last four games. Chris Tillman (1-3) was throttled for eight runs on 10 hits. He only struck out three and walked one.

Nick Markakis scored on Jones' single to account for the first run in the top of the first, however, Baltimore's offense never struck again

Meanwhile, the Royals were faster out of the gates and answered with a four- run home half of the same inning.

Getz singled to lead off, stole second and scored on Cabrera's single. Alex Gordon then brought home Cabrera with a single to right. Billy Butler flied out and Jeff Francoeur struck out for the first two outs before Wilson Betemit doubled into right to bring across Gordon.

"It came to making one pitch in the at-bat and it just wasn't there, I think," Tillman said of the first inning. "I couldn't put away hitters when I needed to."

The Royals tacked on one more run during the inning when Aviles hit a routine pop fly to the right side of the infield. With the sun just poking through the rain clouds that delayed the game for 35 minutes, third baseman Mark Reynolds lost track of the ball and it fell for an infield single that plated Betemit.

KC tacked on a run back-to-back doubles by Alcides Escobar and Getz to start the bottom of the second.

The runs kept pouring in for the Royals, with a three-run fourth. Cabrera had a two-run double and he scored on Billy Butler's double down the left field line. Cabrera ended his hot day from the plate with a solo shot in the eighth to make up the final score.

Game Notes

Kansas City won four of its six matchups with the O's last season, including three of the four meetings at Kauffman Stadium...Baltimore finished out a seven-game road trip 4-3...The Royals were 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position.