The Kansas City Royals were up to the challenge against the A.L. East leading Baltimore Orioles for the first four innings. The Orioles took the plate in the bottom of the fifth and lit of Royals starter Bruce Chen for five runs to go up 6-0. In the fifth there was not one big play by the Orioles, but rather they just kept getting timely hits and racked up the runs.
The Royals offense never got on track and was shutdown by Orioles starter Jason Hammel went six innings, allowed zero runs, five hits and struck out seven.
Jeff Francoeur put the Royals on the board with a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, and that is all the scoring the Royals would get on Friday night. Francouer had the best night at the plate by going 3-for-4, two RBI and a run.
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