KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Whit Merrifield hit a two-run, two-out double that capped a four-run rally in the ninth inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Friday night to reach .500 for the first time since April.
With their 10th win in 12 games, the Royals improved to 36-36. They were 6-6 before play on April 20, then went on a nine-game losing streak that night and dropped as low as 10-20, seven games out of first place. They trail AL Central-leading Cleveland by three games.
Toronto took a 2-1 lead into the ninth and extended it when Josh Donaldson and Justin Smoak hit RBI singles off Joakim Soria (4-2).
Salvador Perez doubled with one out in the bottom half against Ryan Tepera, took third on a wild pitch, and Brandon Moss walked with two outs.
Alcides Escobar greeted Aaron Loup (2-1) with an RBI single, and Alex Gordon hit a run-scoring single on the first pitch from Jason Grilli. Ahead 3-1 in the count, Merrifield doubled on a hop to the left-field wall, and Gordon scored easily from first, crossing the plate with a headfirst slide.
Royals rookie Jake Junis gave up two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Toronto opened a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Troy Tulowitzki hit an RBI double and scored on a wild pitch. Perez singled in a run in the seventh.
RED SOX 9, ANGELS 4 Hanley Ramirez and Sandy Leon hit two-run homers and the Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-4 on Friday to cap a night in which David Ortiz’s number became the latest retired at Fenway Park. It was the 250th career home run for Ramirez, a good friend of Ortiz who was also born in the Dominican Republic. Leon finished with three hits and four RBIs.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
MARLINS 2, CUBS 0 Giancarlo Stanton hit a 458-foot drive for his 19th home run, Jose Urena scattered five hits over six innings and the Miami Marlins topped the Chicago Cubs 2-0 on Friday night. Christian Yelich added a sacrifice fly for the Marlins, who won for the second time this week with no more than three hits. Stanton had two hits and Dee Gordon the other for Miami, which got only two hits in a 2-1 win over Washington. PIRATES 4, CARDINALS 3 Josh Bell and John Jaso homered as the Pittsburgh Pirates broke their Busch Stadium hex with a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. Jaso, who entered as part of a double switch in the eighth inning, drove a 3-2 pitch from Seung Hwan Oh (1-4) over the wall in right-center to break a 3-3 tie in the ninth as the Pirates broke a seven-game losing streak in St. Louis.
BRAVES 5, BREWERS 4 Mike Foltynewicz won his fourth straight decision at home, shortstop Dansby Swanson made a pair of outstanding defensive plays in the ninth inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 on Friday night for their sixth win in seven games. Foltynewicz (5-5) gave up one run, four hits and three walks in five innings with nine strikeouts.