Diamondbacks 5 - 3 Royals
Final
  for this game

D-Backs complete sweep of Royals

Jun 24, 2011 - 4:37 AM

Video

Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Juan Miranda and Miguel Montero both hit solo homers to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Kansas City Royals, 5-3, in the finale of a three-game interleague series.

Chris Young drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who took all three games in this set. Stephen Drew had two hits and an RBI.

Daniel Hudson (9-5) gave up three runs on six hits to pick up the win. He has now won three straight starts and is 6-0 in his last eight, with Arizona going 7-1 in that span.

Matt Treanor and Alcides Escobar had an RBI apiece for the Royals, who have lost five in a row and seven of eight overall.

Felipe Paulino (0-1) remained winless in a Kansas City uniform despite pitching into the ninth. He allowed five runs on nine hits to go with eight strikeouts and one walk.

"He got a little away from his game in the first two innings with all the breaking balls," Royals manager Ned Yost said of Paulino. "He was shaking Treanor off. He needed to get more aggressive with a fastball, but made the adjustment and got us into the ninth inning."

The D-Backs got on the board in the first inning. Ryan Roberts singled and Justin Upton was hit by a pitch to put men on first and second with one out. The runners moved up a base when Drew grounded out and both scored on Young's base hit to left.

Montero led off the second with a homer to right to make it 3-0.

The Royals responded with two runs in the home second. Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas singled to put men on first and second with one out. With Treanor batting, catcher Montero threw to first in an attempt to pickoff Moustakas. Montero's throw went into right field and Gordon came around to score on the error. Treanor walked before Escobar hit an RBI single.

Arizona tacked on another run in the third. Roberts and Kelly Johnson hit consecutive singles to start the frame. The runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Drew's RBI double made it 4-2.

Miranda hit a solo homer to right in the fourth, but Kansas City got the run back in the home half on Treanor's RBI single.

Paulino retired 13 straight batters before Drew led off the ninth with a single. Young then walked to chase Paulino from the game. Everett Teaford got Montero to ground into a double play. Greg Holland was then called in from the bullpen to record the final out of the frame.

Aaron Heilman tossed a perfect eighth and J.J. Putz pitched a scoreless ninth for his 20th save.

"Any time you can get quick outs and close the door for the starters, who have been pitching great for the last, shoot, month-and-a-half to two months, it's always nice to come up to the clubhouse and you get to shake their hands right away and get the job done for them," Putz said.

Game Notes

The Diamondbacks (42-34) are eight games over the .500 mark for the first time since they were 30-22 on May 27, 2008...The Royals fell to 2-7 against the National League this season, while Arizona improved to 7-2 in interleague action.






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