Duffy, Royals keep Cardinals down 6-0
ST. LOUIS - Danny Duffy worked six innings of one-hit ball and Alex Gordon homered to start a breakout three-run seventh for the Kansas City Royals in a 6-0 victory over the suddenly punchless St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.
The Royals had just two singles off Shelby Miller (6-5) in a game that had been scoreless before they opened the seventh with four straight hits. Gordon's fifth homer ended a 15-inning scoreless drought and Mike Moustakas capped the rally with a two-run double.
Matt Holliday had two singles and a walk for the Cardinals, who have been shut out in consecutive games and have single-digit hit totals the last four games.
Between Holliday's single with two outs in the first and his single leading off the seventh, the Cardinals were 0 for 17 with a walk - also by Holliday in the fourth.
Duffy (3-5) struck out five and walked one, rebounding from consecutive losses in which he surrendered 10 earned runs in 10 innings.
Three relievers completed a three-hitter.
The Royals advanced one runner to second base before Gordon led off the seventh with his fifth homer, a drive over the Cardinals' bullpen in right field.
Lorenzo Cain beat out an infield hit unsuccessfully challenged by the Cardinals and Miller threw his second wild pitch of the inning after a visit from pitching coach Derek Lilliquist, setting up Moustakas' double.
Kansas City added three in the eighth. Cardinals rookie center fielder Randal Grichuk struck out three times and whiffed fielding the ball on the RBI single by Salvador Perez, allowing a second run to score.
NOTES: Holliday has reached safely in all 29 home games. .. The Cardinals anticipate pitcher Lance Lynn, who underwent medical tests after tweaking his right knee Sunday, will make his next start. ... Cardinals pitching prospect Marco Gonzales, a first-round pick last year, and teammates from Double-A Springfield attended the game on a day off. ... The Royals claimed RHP Blake Wood on waivers from Cleveland and assigned him to Triple-A Omaha, making room on the 40-man roster by transferring RHP Luke Hochevar (elbow surgery) from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. Kansas City also purchased the contract of RHP Wilking Rodriguez, optioned RHP Louis Coleman to Omaha and designed LHP Justin Marks for assignment. ... The Royals are 5-1 in interleague play.