MINNEAPOLIS - James Shields watched Lorenzo Cain race back to the wall in left-center field, leap in the air and snatch Trevor Plouffe’s drive away just before it landed in the bullpen.
The Kansas City right-hander thrust his arms in the air, Royals relievers erupted in jubilation and Cain bounded back toward the dugout with no worries about a groin injury that had kept him on the bench earlier this week.
It’s been a long, long time since the Royals were winning like this, and they’re enjoying every minute of it.
The Royals won their ninth consecutive game, stretching their longest winning streak in more than a decade by beating Minnesota 7-2 Thursday behind Billy Butler’s hitting and Cain’s highlight reel catch in center field.
The Royals last won nine consecutive when they opened the 2003 season at 9-0. The last time Kansas City won more in a row was a 10-game string in 1994, STATS said. After completing the three-game sweep of the Twins, they have opened a road trip 6-0 for the first time since 1980, when they went to the World Series.
“We’ve got great energy, youthful energy on our club,” Royals Manager Ned Yost said, sitting in his office just a few feet away from a raucous clubhouse celebration. “Our guys, they love winning. They get into it.”
Butler had two hits and drove in two runs. Justin Maxwell had a hit and an RBI a day after being acquired in a trade with Houston.
Shields (6-7) gave up 2 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks in 6 innings for the Royals, who swept the three-game series and are showing potential to be a factor late in the season.
Scott Diamond (5-10) gave up 7runs and 9 hits in 5 innings. Justin Morneau hit a home run and doubled, but the Twins couldn’t take advantage of Shields.
RED SOX 8, MARINERS 7 Daniel Nava’s long single to center field capped a six-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning as host Boston stung Seattle for a three-game sweep.
ORIOLES 6, ASTROS 3 One day after being acquired from Houston, Bud Norris dominated his former teammates over six innings in his debut as Baltimore beat Houston. Chris Davis hit his major league-leading 39th home run in the seventh.
INDIANS 6, WHITE SOX 1 Ryan Raburn homered twice and drove in four runs and host Cleveland won their eighth consecutive game, topping Chicago. The Indians have won 13 of 17.
INTERLEAGUE RANGERS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 1 Yu Darvish struck out 14, matching the most in his 50 major league starts, and Texas hit three solo home runs and beat visiting Arizona in a makeup game. Darvish (10-5) had no walks and scattered 5 hits while throwing 78 strikes in 111 pitches over 7 scoreless innings.
NATIONAL LEAGUE GIANTS 2, PHILLIES 1 Joaquin Arias and pinch-hitter Roger Kieschnick had RBI singles off Jonathan Papelbon in the top of the ninth inning, then Sergio Romo escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half as visiting San Francisco beat Philadelphia.
BRAVES 11, ROCKIES 2 Justin Upton drove in five runs with two home runs, Julio Teheran matched his career high with 11 strikeouts, and host Atlanta beat Colorado for their seventh consecutive victory. Jason Heyward added a two-run home run as the Braves completed a four-game sweep of the Rockies.
DODGERS 6, CUBS 4 Yasiel Puig hit a long home run and scored two runs to lead visiting Los Angeles to a victory over Chicago. Hanley Ramirez and Jerry Hairston each drove in two runs for the Dodgers, who got a victory a night after having a four-game winning streak snapped.
MARLINS 3, METS 0 Tom Koehler pitched six effective innings and Miami stalled Matt Harvey once again, beating visiting New York. Logan Morrison’s two-out single broke a scoreless tie in the sixth. Donovan Solano added a two-run single later in the inning.
Thursday’s games NATIONAL LEAGUE Miami 3, NY Mets 0 San Francisco 2, Philadelphia 1 St. Louis 13, Pittsburgh 0 Atlanta 11, Colorado 2 LA Dodgers 6, Chicago Cubs 4 AMERICAN LEAGUE Cleveland 6, Chicago White Sox 1 Kansas City 7, Minnesota 2 Baltimore 6, Houston 3 Boston 8, Seattle 7 Toronto at LA Angels, (n) INTERLEAGUE Texas 7, Arizona 1
Sports, Pages 20 on 08/02/2013