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Royals, Orioles resume series from Camden Yards

May 25, 2011 - 3:00 PM (Sports Network) - Bouncing back from late-game frustration is first on the agenda for the Kansas City Royals tonight as they play the second of three games with the host Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

The Royals got to the ninth inning with a one-run lead in Tuesday's opener, only to see Adam Jones hit a game-winning two-run homer to give the Orioles a dramatic 5-3 victory.

Felix Pie had an RBI double earlier in the inning.

It was Kansas City's third straight loss.

J.J. Hardy had two hits and Matt Wieters chipped in an RBI double for the Orioles, who pushed their winning streak to three games.

Orioles pitcher Alfredo Simon (1-0) tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up the victory.

Alex Gordon had two hits for Kansas City, including a solo homer in the third inning, while Joakim Soria (3-1) blew his third save of the year.

Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur also had two hits for Kansas City.

Right-hander Luke Hochevar, the first overall pick in the 2006 draft, faces the Orioles for the fifth time in his brief big-league career and aims for his first victory.

The University of Tennessee product is 0-3 with a 7.66 earned run average through the first four matchups, allowing 25 hits and 20 runs in 22 1/3 innings.

He leveled his 2011 record at 3-3 with a May 1 victory over Minnesota but has faced harder luck since, going 0-1 with two no-decisions in spite of lowering his season ERA from 5.48 to 4.36.

He scattered six hits and allowed one run in his May 19 start against Texas, striking out four and walking two in a game the Royals ultimately won, 2-1.

Kansas City is 6-4 in his 10 starts.

For the Orioles, righty Jake Arrieta wants to return to the prosperity of an April 14-May 15 stretch that saw him go 4-0 in seven starts and lower his own ERA from 8.68 to 4.03.

A May 4 start against Kansas City in that run yielded a 3-2 defeat of the Royals in which Arrieta allowed three hits and a run in seven strong innings with eight strikeouts.

The streak ended on May 20 against interleague foe Washington, when he allowed six hits on six runs in just 3 2/3 innings of a 17-5 blowout loss to the Nationals.

Baltimore is also 6-4 in Arrieta's 10 starts.

Kansas City took two of three from the O's earlier in the season and has won six of the last 10 in the series.