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Lind's slam helps Jays power past Royals

Jun 9, 2011 - 4:26 AM Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Adam Lind belted the second grand slam of his career and Jayson Nix added a three-run blast, as the Toronto Blue Jays outslugged the Kansas City Royals to earn a 9-8 win in the third of a four- game set from Kauffman Stadium.

Juan Rivera added a pair of RBI for the Blue Jays, who have won three of four.

Carlos Villanueva (4-0) allowed four runs on six hits while striking out five over seven innings to earn the victory. His personal eight-game win streak, which dates back to last season, marks a career-high.

Trailing 9-7 in the ninth, Kansas City cut the deficit to one with an Alex Gordon RBI double. Casey Janssen was able to induce Melky Cabrera into a fly out to short, however, to preserve the final margin and earn his first save of the season.

Danny Duffy (0-2) lasted just four innings to suffer the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits and four walks.

Nathan Adcock allowed four runs on three hits while striking out four over three innings in relief of Duffy.

Cabrera and Billy Butler each belted a three-run homer for the Royals, who have lost six of seven.

Each of Rivera's RBI came with two outs. He initially brought home Corey Patterson with a single up the middle in the first, then gave the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead in the third with a liner over short, which plated Jose Bautista.

In the third, the Royals loaded the bases with no outs before Gordon drove home Chris Getz with a sac fly to right. Cabrera promptly followed with his eighth home run of the year, giving the Royals a 4-2 lead.

With Aaron Hill and Rajai Davis aboard in the fourth, Nix lifted a Duffy offering over the fence in left, reestablishing the Blue Jays' lead.

Adcock spelled Duffy to start the fifth and retired five consecutive batters before walking Mike McCoy with two down in the sixth. Patterson followed with a single and the Royals elected to intentionally walk Bautista. The decision proved fateful, as Lind followed with a grand slam to right-center, giving Toronto a 9-4 lead.

"I think it's just a good thing for everybody in that lineup," said Lind of the decision to walk Bautista. "If they have to pitch around us, it means there's more people on base and more of a chance for us to score runs."

Butler's three-run shot in the eight kept Kansas City within striking distance.

In the ninth, Brayan Pena placed a one-out single up the middle and, after an Alcides Escobar strikeout, crossed the plate on Gordon's double. Cabrera's fly out to deep short left halted the rally.

"We could have gotten a win out of this game," lamented Adcock while recognizing his role in the loss. "That one pitch got away from me and he hits it mile. It hurts the team."

Game Notes

Duffy, who made his fifth career start Wednesday night, suffered the first loss of his major league career last Friday night against the Twins...Despite leading the league in homers, Bautista has now gone 10 straight games without one.