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Jays, Royals resume series in KC

Jun 8, 2011 - 2:42 PM (Sports Network) - Journeyman right-hander Carlos Villanueva can continue a successful return to the rotation tonight when the Toronto Blue Jays play the third test of four against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

Toronto evened the series in Tuesday night's second game when Adam Lind and J.P. Arencibia each blasted a home run and combined for five RBI in an 8-5 victory.

Lind finished with three RBI and a pair of runs scored, while Jayson Nix and Mike McCoy, who replaced the injured Yunel Escobar in the fifth, each drove in a run.

Kyle Drabek (4-4) earned the win despite allowing five runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings for Toronto, which has won two of three.

KC starter Vin Mazzaro (0-1) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings to take the loss.

Jeff Francoeur was 2-for-5 with three RBI for the Royals, who snapped a four- game losing streak with an 11-inning victory over the Blue Jays in Monday's opener.

Villanueva, a veteran of 246 big-league appearances since debuting in 2006, came in from the bullpen for his first 13 outings this season before starting at Yankee Stadium and defeating New York, 7-3, with five innings of two-hit ball on May 23.

He got a no-decision five days later in Toronto's 9-8 defeat of the Chicago White Sox, then picked up another win with 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball in an 8-4 win at Baltimore.

Overall, in 39 2/3 innings, the 27-year-old Dominican has allowed 26 hits and 12 earned runs.

He's made 30 career starts in the majors, including nine in 2008, when he was 4-7 with the Milwaukee Brewers. His career-high win total came in 2007, when he went 8-5 in 59 appearances -- six starts -- with the Brewers.

The Royals reply with rookie lefty Danny Duffy, who'll make the fifth start of his debut season and first against Toronto.

The former third-round draft pick got his first decision, a loss, after allowing seven hits and three runs over five innings against Minnesota on June 3.

In three previous starts -- all Kansas City losses -- he allowed 14 hits and seven runs across 15 1/3 innings against Texas (twice) and Baltimore.

Now 23, Duffy broke into the minors with the Royals at age 18 and compiled a 27-14 record with a 2.59 earned run average across 73 games over five seasons.

He was 3-1 in seven starts at Triple-A Omaha this spring, allowing 30 hits and striking out 43 batters in 36 innings.

Kansas City split its six games with the Jays a year ago.