BALTIMORE — Eric Hosmer singled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, Billy Butler homered and the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 Saturday.
Hosmer went 3 for 4 with two RBIs to help the Royals make up a three-run deficit. Butler’s 10th homer cut it to 3-2 in the sixth, Hosmer scored the tying run in the seventh and then put Kansas City ahead for the first time in the eighth.
Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy hit solo home runs for the Orioles, and Adam Jones extended his career-best hitting streak to 17 with a third-inning triple. It was only the second time this season that Baltimore lost a game in which it homered.
Kansas City closed to 3-1 in the fifth inning when Johnny Giavotella led off with a double and scored on a single by Hosmer.
Butler homered off Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen in the sixth to make it 3-2, and the Royals used a 55-foot double as the spark to pull even against Darren O’Day in the seventh.
Hosmer began the inning by hitting a roller down the third-base line. While the Orioles watched and hoped the ball would stray foul, Hosmer made it to second base before it came to a stop on the foul line. Humberto Quintero followed with an RBI double down the left-field line.
In the Kansas City eighth, Mike Moustakas led off with a single off Pedro Strop (3-2), who came in with 13 straight scoreless appearances. A walk and a single loaded the bases for Hosmer, who lined a single to left.
Greg Holland (1-2) pitched the seventh, and Jonathan Broxton got three outs for his ninth save in 11 chances.
Kansas City starter Felipe Paulino gave up three runs, five hits and five walks in 5 2-3 innings. He allowed only one homer in four starts this season before surrendering two to the hard-hitting Orioles, who lead the majors with 72.
Davis staked the Orioles to a 1-0 lead with an opposite-field drive to left in the second inning. It was his eighth homer of the season and second in two games.
Later in the inning, center fielder Jarrod Dyson collided with left fielder Alex Gordon after Gordon caught a line drive for the third out. Dyson limped to the dugout with a right hamstring bruise and was replaced by Mitch Maier.
Hardy led off the third with this 10th home run, Jones hit a one-out triple and Matt Wieters followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
NOTES: Jones and the Orioles have reached agreement on a six-year contract through 2018, a deal worth about $85 million. An announcement could come Sunday. … Kansas City snapped a 3-game skid. … Baltimore fell to 6-2 on Saturdays. … KC’s Jeff Francoeur went 2 for 4 and is 13 for 25 in his last six games.
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