By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

Eric Hosmer hit a tiebreaking single off closer Trevor Rosenthal in the ninth inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7 Tuesday night for their second straight road victory in the four-game, two-city series.

Rookie Kolten Wong’s first career home run was a grand slam in the second that ended the Cardinals’ 20-inning scoreless drought and gave them an early four-run cushion. The defending National League champions finished a dismal 2-7 home stand when their pitchers faltered.

Alex Gordon’s three-run homer capped a six-run fifth for the Royals against Jaime Garcia that put them up by two.

Kansas City starter James Shields also scuffled, surrendering five earned runs in 5 1-3 innings, and has given up seven homers his last three starts. Shields helped himself with two hits, including an RBI double.

Peter Bourjos’ 422-foot homer put the Cardinals ahead 7-6 in the sixth. Alcides Escobar’s bloop RBI single off Pat Neshek tied it in the eighth.

Omar Infante doubled off Rosenthal (0-3) with one out in the ninth ahead of Hosmer’s hit.

Greg Holland worked the ninth for his 16th save in 17 chances for the Royals, the home team for the last two games of intrastate interleague series that resumes Wednesday.

Wade Davis (5-1) pitched the eighth and got the win.

Jhonny Peralta added two doubles and an RBI for St. Louis, outscored 14-0 the previous two games by the Royals and Giants.

Wong was chosen as the NL rookie of the month earlier Tuesday and his slam in the second was the Cardinals’ fifth hit in 10 at-bats against Shields.

St. Louis loaded the bases in the first, too, but Yadier Molina grounded into an inning-ending double play on good glovework by Escobar at shortstop and capped by Infante’s barehanded grab on the move at second and relay.

The Royals had one runner in scoring position the first four innings, then batted around and hit for the cycle in the sixth to take the lead. Gordon homered for the second straight day, Escobar had an RBI triple and Shields had an RBI double with his second straight hit.

NOTES: Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright (8-3, 2.32) opposes Jason Vargas (5-2, 3.39) on Wednesday night. Wainwright is 4-1 against the Royals and 9-5 overall in interleague play. Vargas has at least six strikeouts his last five starts, the longest such stretch of his career. … Shields is the first Royals pitcher to get an RBI since Luis Mendoza May 29, 2013, at St. Louis. … The Royals’ six-run inning tied their season best and the best against the Cardinals. … Matt Holliday walked twice and has reached safely the first 30 home games. … The Royals have played six games with new batting coach Dale Sveum, and have scored six or more runs in four of them.

By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS — Danny Duffy worked six innings of one-hit ball and Alex Gordon homered to start a breakout three-run seventh for the Kansas City Royals in a 6-0 victory over the suddenly punchless St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.

The Royals had just two singles off Shelby Miller (6-5) in a game that had been scoreless before they opened the seventh with four straight hits. Gordon’s fifth homer ended a 15-inning scoreless drought and Mike Moustakas capped the rally with a two-run double.

Matt Holliday had two singles and a walk for the Cardinals, who have been shut out in consecutive games and have single-digit hit totals the last four games.

Between Holliday’s single with two outs in the first and his single leading off the seventh, the Cardinals were 0 for 17 with a walk — also by Holliday in the fourth.

Duffy (3-5) struck out five and walked one, rebounding from consecutive losses in which he surrendered 10 earned runs in 10 innings.

Three relievers completed a three-hitter.

The Royals advanced one runner to second base before Gordon led off the seventh with his fifth homer, a drive over the Cardinals’ bullpen in right field.

Lorenzo Cain beat out an infield hit unsuccessfully challenged by the Cardinals and Miller threw his second wild pitch of the inning after a visit from pitching coach Derek Lilliquist, setting up Moustakas’ double.

Kansas City added three in the eighth. Cardinals rookie center fielder Randal Grichuk struck out three times and whiffed fielding the ball on the RBI single by Salvador Perez, allowing a second run to score.

NOTES: Holliday has reached safely in all 29 home games. .. The Cardinals anticipate pitcher Lance Lynn, who underwent medical tests after tweaking his right knee Sunday, will make his next start. … Cardinals pitching prospect Marco Gonzales, a first-round pick last year, and teammates from Double-A Springfield attended the game on a day off. … The Royals claimed RHP Blake Wood on waivers from Cleveland and assigned him to Triple-A Omaha, making room on the 40-man roster by transferring RHP Luke Hochevar (elbow surgery) from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. Kansas City also purchased the contract of RHP Wilking Rodriguez, optioned RHP Louis Coleman to Omaha and designed LHP Justin Marks for assignment. … The Royals are 5-1 in interleague play.

Kansas City Royals

KANSAS CITY, MO –  The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have claimed right-handed pitcher Blake Wood on outright waivers from the Cleveland Indians.  Wood will be assigned to Omaha (AAA).  To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Luke Hochevar has been transferred to the 60-day disabled list.  

Wood, 28, was originally selected by the Royals in the third round of the 2006 June Free Agent Draft.  He spent his first two Major League seasons in Kansas City, going 5-3 with a 3.75 ERA in a career-high 55 appearances during the 2011 season.  He was selected off waivers by the Indians on November 2, 2012 and has pitched in parts of the last two seasons with Cleveland, including seven games this year.

The  Royals also announced today that they have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Wilking Rodriguez and optioned right-handed reliever Louis Coleman to Omaha (AAA).  To make room on the 40-man roster for Rodriguez, left-handed pitcher Justin Marks has been designated for assignment.

Rodriguez, 24, had made just two one-inning, scoreless appearances for Omaha (AAA) since being promoted from Northwest Arkansas (AA) a little over a week ago.    While with the Naturals, he made 11 appearances totaling 11.0 innings allowing 11 hits, three runs, (two earned) with four walks and 12 strikeouts.

A native of Puerto Cabello, Carabobo, Venezuela, Rodriguez joined the Royals’ organization as a minor league free agent lastNovember 19 after spending seven seasons with the Tampa Bay organization.  His time with the Rays was interrupted with stints on the disabled list due to shoulder surgery in October, 2010.  He was on the Rays’ 40-man roster during the 2012 season and ranked as their 23^rd best prospect by Baseball America entering that year.

By IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) – Mark Buehrle pitched eight sharp innings to become baseball’s first 10-game winner, Edwin Encarnacion homered again and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0 Sunday.

Buehrle (10-1) won his sixth straight decision. He gave up six hits, walked one and struck out three.

He lowered his ERA to 2.10, second-best in the AL to New York’s Masahiro Tanaka, and improved to 25-12 lifetime against the Royals.

Encarnacion, who matched Mickey Mantle’s AL record with 16 home runs in May, started off a new month with another drive. He hit a two-run shot off Aaron Crow in the eighth for his 19th homer of the season.

Jeremy Guthrie (2-5) lost his fifth straight decision.

By IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — Juan Francisco had three hits and four RBIs, Marcus Stroman won his first career start and the Toronto Blue Jays used a seven-run first inning to rout the Kansas City Royals 12-2 on Saturday.