KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jeremy Guthrie pitched six solid innings and Billy Butler homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 on Thursday.
The Royals, who limped into the All-Star break with five consecutive defeats, went 5-2 on the homestand against the Orioles and AL Central Division-leading Detroit Tigers.
Guthrie (10-7), who won 47 games in five seasons with the Orioles, allowed six hits over six innings. He gave up one run, while striking out five and walking one.
Guthrie went 3-1 in July and his 10 victories are one shy of his season high, set in 2010 with the Orioles.
The Royals had 10 hits, including two each by rookie David Lough and Jarrod Dyson. Lough drove in a pair of runs with singles in the first and fifth innings. Alex Gordon also had two RBIs with a triple in the fifth and a sacrifice fly in the second.
Butler homered, his ninth of the season, in the seventh inning off Francisco Rodriguez, who was making his Orioles’ debut after being acquired in a trade Tuesday with Milwaukee.
Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (8-4) lasted just 4 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the season and snapping his streak of eight straight quality starts. Gonzalez, who lost for only the second time since May 21, allowing a season-high six runs and eight hits, one walk and a hit batter, while striking out none.
The Royals scored three runs in the first two innings, all with two out. Salvador Perez and Lough contributed RBI singles in the first. Gordon’s fly to center in the second scored Chris Getz, who had doubled and moved to third on Dyson’s bunt single.
The Royals’ three-run fifth included Dyson scoring on Gordon’s triple, while Eric Hosmer and Lough added RBI singles.
Henry Urrutia tripled with two out in the fifth and scored on Brian Roberts’ double for the Orioles’ run.
Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters singled in his first two at-bats for his fifth consecutive multi-hit game and extended his hitting streak to seven games.