Taveras HR, 3 RBIs carry Orioles to 8-2 win over Royals for 3-game sweep

BALTIMORE (AP) — Leody Taveras homered and drove in three runs, Samuel Basallo added a solo shot and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 8-2 Sunday for a three-game sweep.

The game was interrupted in the seventh inning when several players from both teams converged around the plate after Kansas City’s Lucas Erceg hit Blaze Alexander on the left hand with a pitch. The off-target pitch came immediately after Erceg yielded Basallo’s homer to make it 8-2.

Alexander shouted at Erceg, and Orioles manager Craig Albernaz quickly stepped in to restrain Alexander. Players from both dugouts and bullpens approached, but no punches were thrown, no one was shoved and no one was ejected. But Albernaz revealed after the game that Alexander has a nondisplaced fracture of his left hand.

Alexander had two hits and scored twice for the Orioles, who enter the All-Star break with their first four-game winning streak of the season.

Taveras hit a two-run homer in the second inning, a drive estimated at 448 feet. He also singled in the tiebreaking run during a five-run sixth that put Baltimore up 7-2.

Lane Thomas went 3 for 4 with an RBI for the Royals, who were swept for the eighth time this season, most in the majors. Kansas City’s fifth straight defeat left the last-place team a season-high 21 games under .500 (38-59).

Baltimore’s big sixth inning was fueled by a fly ball that Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone lost in the sun and a balk that forced in a run. Taveras made it 3-2 with an RBI single and Jeremiah Jackson had a pinch-hit RBI double before Taveras scored on a balk by Matt Strahm (3-3).

Orioles starter Shane Baz was lifted after throwing 104 pitches over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and allowed one earned run.

Grant Wolfram (2-2), the second of five Baltimore relievers, got the win.