Leody Taveras, Orioles complete sweep of skidding Royals

Leody Taveras homered and later drove in the tiebreaking run as the Baltimore Orioles completed a three-game sweep of the visiting Kansas City Royals, heading into the All-Star break on a season-best four-game winning streak thanks to an 8-2 victory Sunday afternoon.

Samuel Basallo also homered, Gunnar Henderson posted three hits and Blaze Alexander had two hits and scored two runs. Taveras finished with three RBIs.

Grant Wolfram (2-2), who worked two-thirds of an inning, was the winning pitcher. He was the second of Baltimore’s five relievers.

Lane Thomas notched three hits and Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits for the Royals, who’ve lost five games in a row. They racked up nine hits, but left nine runners on base.

With the All-Star break coming following the game, the teams were eager to use their bullpens.

Orioles starter Shane Baz struck out nine batters, but threw 104 pitches in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) and seven hits without issuing a walk.

Starter Seth Lugo worked four innings for the Royals, surrendering two runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Kansas City reliever Matt Strahm (3-3) suffered the loss for the second time in three days, giving up five runs on four hits in one-third of an inning in the sixth.

Taveras broke a 2-2 tie with a sixth-inning single. Jeremiah Jackson tacked on a run-scoring double before Taveras scored on Strahm’s balk. Henderson’s infield single made it 6-2 and, three batters later, Pete Alonso provided a two-out RBI single.

Basallo led off the seventh with his second homer of the series and 16th of the season.

The Royals opened the scoring on Isaac Collins’ two-out second-inning triple.

The Orioles went ahead in the bottom of the inning on Taveras’ two-run home run. Two of his four homers this year have come against the Royals.

Kansas City pulled even in the third on Thomas’ run-scoring single.

Baltimore won five of six meetings vs. the Royals this year.