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Royals explode in eighth, beat Blue Jays

Apr 26, 2008 - 4:31 AM By Pat Madden PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- John Buck doubled in the go-ahead run during a six-run eighth inning to lead the Kansas City Royals to an 8-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

David DeJesus had three RBI as Kansas City snapped a seven-game losing streak in scoring more than six runs for the first time this season. During the slide, the Royals had scored three runs or fewer five times.

Buck's run-scoring double and DeJesus' two-run single highlighted the six-run eighth for the Royals, who enjoyed their best offensive output of the campaign.

"It was good to get a win coming from behind the way we've been struggling," Buck said. "We won, we got that W, with those Ls looming over us out of the way."

"It showed a lot of character tonight, especially on the heels of a seven-game losing streak," Kansas City manager Trey Hillman said. "I was really impressed with the way we battled back."

Despite allowing three runs and three hits in the top of the eighth, Leo Nunez (2-0) notched his first victory since March 31 at Detroit. Joakim Soria sealed the win with a perfect ninth inning.

"(Nunez) pitched very well, as did (starter Zack) Greinke," Hillman said. "We battled. Just to be able to string that many hits together. We caught a break, too.

"Always try to be fair, we got a break and we took advantage of it, and that rolled into some momentum. We didn't catch too many in the seven-game skid. We needed to catch a break, and we caught a couple tonight that helped us out."

Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett (2-2) surrendered five runs - four earned - and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out six while walking three.

"I was executing early," Burnett said. "I had a good curve and a good fastball, and I was mixing it up. I just needed to finish out that eighth inning."

"He was good, but the walks late came back to haunt us," Toronto manager John Gibbons said.

Burnett was replaced by lefthander Scott Downs, who allowed the final three runs in the eighth without recording an out.

The key play of the eighth inning was a fielding error by Blue Jays shortstop David Eckstein, who with one out misplayed Downs' throw of a potential double-play ball off the bat of Ross Gload, prolonging the inning.

"We got the ground ball we needed," Gibbons said. "We had the chance to turn a double play, but couldn't get the out."

"That was a huge play," Eckstein said of his error. "It can't happen. I just gotta catch it."

The Royals, who entered the game last in the major leagues in runs scored with 70, broke through for their first in 15 innings in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Gload and Buck.

Greinke lowered his ERA to 1.25 by yielding just one run and five hits in seven innings. He has allowed just one run in 15 innings at Kauffman Stadium this season.

Scott Rolen and Lyle Overbay each had two hits for Toronto, which has lost five straight games.

"We're in a rut," Gibbons said. "We're rock bottom right now."