TORONTO — Something was missing as the Kansas City Royals celebrated the end of an eight-game losing streak with the customary on-field handshakes: the coaching staff.
Luke Hochevar worked a season-high 6 2-3 innings, Willie Bloomquist hit a three-run triple and the Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 on Saturday.
Kansas City’s players took to the field to congratulate each other after their first win since a 6-1 victory over Detroit on May 26 but their coaches pulled a fast one, sneaking into the tunnel to surprise the team with raucous cheers on the way back to the clubhouse.
“We just bailed on them,” manager Trey Hillman said. “We let (the players) celebrate and we were waiting for them in the tunnel, just to change it up a little bit.”
The change, and the victory, had everyone in good spirits.
“That was great,” Bloomquist said. “Everyone feels good. It’s about time we feel good about ourselves and get a win under our belt.”
Mark Teahen homered and drove in three runs for the Royals, who entered having lost 20 of 25.
Called up from Triple-A Omaha to make the start, Hochevar (1-2) won for the first time since July 11, 2008. He allowed two runs and four hits.
“It’s nice to come in and get a win and get things rolling again,” Hochevar said.
Blue Jays outfielder Adam Lind said he struggled to see the ball against the right-hander.
“He’s kind of got a weird release point,” Lind said. “For me, it was hard to pick him up. I couldn’t get my timing with him and that forced me to swing at bad pitches.”
Pitching on the third anniversary of his first overall selection in the 2006 draft, Hochevar lowered his ERA from 10.80 to 7.85.
Kyle Farnsworth relieved Hochevar in the seventh with two outs and runners at second and third and got Raul Chavez to ground out on his first pitch. Farnsworth also worked the eighth and Joakim Soria finished for Kansas City.
Scott Richmond (4-3) allowed five runs and five hits in 4 2-3 innings for Toronto. He dropped to 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in his last six games, five starts.
Chavez hit a two-run homer in the third and Richmond shut out the Royals before they scored five times in the fifth.
“Early in the game I was getting away with a few pitches but I was just falling behind batters,” Richmond said. “The fastball location is a factor.”
After Teahen hit a tying two-run drive, Alberto Callaspo doubled over Lind in left and took third on a grounder. Richmond then walked Mitch Maier and David DeJesus before Bloomquist tripled into left-center to make it 5-2.
“It was just a matter of putting together good at-bats,” Bloomquist said. “Teahen came up with a huge hit there to tie it and then guys following him put together great at-bats to get on base, laying off some tough pitches. Everyone just kind of pieced it together and we were able to get some runs.”
Teahen added a two-out RBI single in the eighth off Jesse Carlson.<
Notes: Toronto 2B Aaron Hill, hitless in his last 25 at-bats, was held out of the starting lineup for the first time this season. John McDonald replaced Hill at second base in just his second start of the season. … Kansas City LHP Horacio Ramirez was designated for assignment to make room for Hochevar. … The loss ended Toronto’s six-game home winning streak against Kansas City. … Blue Jays 1B Lyle Overbay extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a two-out double in the seventh.
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