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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Carlos Beltran didn't deliver the Kansas
City Royals' fourth game-winning homer in as many days. His soft
single had the same effect.
|  | | Orioles catcher Charles Johnson sprawls in the dust after the Royals scored the game-winner. |
Beltran, hitless until the ninth inning, drove in the winning
run Thursday as the Kansas City Royals continued their string of
last at-bat wins with a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
"When I was at bat, I was just thinking about not trying do too
much," Beltran said. "I was just trying to put the ball in
play."
The Royals, who ended the last three games with winning home
runs, rallied after blowing a 5-0 lead.
"We played some good baseball, and we played some bad
baseball," Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said. "Realistically, we
probably should have won two out of three. But Kansas City is a
good ballclub and hot right now."
Rey Sanchez, whose three-run, ninth-inning homer gave Kansas
City a 7-6 win Wednesday over Baltimore, led off the ninth with a
single off B.J. Ryan (1-1).
Johnny Damon followed with a sacrifice bunt and Carlos Febles
walked. Beltran followed with a single that dropped just in front
of left fielder B.J. Surhoff, whose throw to the plate wasn't in
time to catch Sanchez.
"I didn't think (Surhoff) had a chance to make the catch in the
air," Hargrove said. "Beltran didn't hit it very hard. I was
surprised the play was as close as it was."
Cal Ripken went 0-for-4, striking out twice -- including a called
third strike that ended Baltimore's four-run eighth inning -- and
remained four hits short of 3,000.
Baltimore tied it on Mike Bordick's single off closer Ricky
Bottalico (2-0) in the ninth, after Jeff Suppan matched a career
high with eight strikeouts over seven-plus innings for Kansas City.
"The way I look at it is I took a win from a starter," said
Bottalico, who has blown two of his three save opportunities. "It
(ticks) me off. Suppan threw a gem."
Mike Sweeney hit his league-leading sixth homer in the first
inning for Kansas City (8-3), which is five games over .500 for the
first time since Sept. 18, 1995. Sanchez went 3-for-4 with two
doubles and an RBI.
"It's all about attitude," manager Tony Muser said of the
Royals' start, which included a 6-1 opening homestand -- their best
since they won all five games of their first homestand in 1978.
"These guys grew up a lot last year," Muser said. "They were
relaxed and methodical in spring training and focused on areas that
needed work. Now they are playing together as a team."
Sweeney's homer, a drive deep into the left-field bullpen off
Mike Mussina, capped the Royals' three-run first. It came after
Jermaine Dye's RBI groundout gave Kansas City a 1-0 lead.
Mussina also gave up Johnny Damon's sacrifice fly in the second
inning and Sanchez's RBI double in the fourth. He gave up five runs
and 10 hits in eight innings.
Bordick's two-run homer with nobody out in the eighth broke up
the shutout bid by Suppan. Dan Reichert replaced Suppan after Brady
Anderson followed Bordick's homer with a single.
Anderson stole third and scored on a throwing error by catcher
Brian Johnson, and Albert Belle's sacrifice fly cut the Royals'
lead to 5-4.
Suppan gave up seven hits, two each by Bordick and Surhoff, and
didn't walk anyone.
Game notes
Febles' first-inning single extended his hitting streak to
a career-high eight games. ... Sweeney also leads the American
League with 36 total bases. ... Baltimore 1B Will Clark left after
four innings with spasms in his upper back. ... Kansas City is
12-for-12 on stolen bases this season, after Damon's steal of
second in the seventh inning. ... Baltimore's Delino DeShields
recorded his 400th career steal in the seventh, on the same play
that led to Anderson's run.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Baltimore Clubhouse
Kansas City Clubhouse
Gammons: Kansas City, here I come
Ripken reaching 3,000, but it's taking a while
RECAPS
Tampa Bay 6
Chi. White Sox 5
Kansas City 6
Baltimore 5
Boston 4
Minnesota 3
Detroit 2
Seattle 0
NY Yankees 5
Texas 1
Chicago Cubs 3
Atlanta 2
Arizona 5
San Diego 4
Milwaukee 4
Florida 0
NY Mets 2
Philadelphia 1
Pittsburgh 4
Montreal 3
Los Angeles 6
San Francisco 5
Los Angeles 11
San Francisco 7
(2nd game)
Colorado 12
St. Louis 6
AUDIO/VIDEO
 A tremendous effort for the Royals and Manager Tony Muser.
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