Royals snap losing streak, win 3-1 against Padres

The Kansas City Royals snapped a five-game losing streak Tuesday night, winning 3-1 in 11 innings against the San Diego Padres.

Alex Gordon drove in the game-winning run in the top of the eleventh, slapping a Texas-league single past Jedd Gyorko. Eric Hosmer, who led off the inning with an opposite field double, raced around third base and slide around a tag from Yasmani Grandal to break a 1-1 tie. Billy Butler followed Gordon's single with a double to right-center field, driving in an insurance run.

The Royals first run of the game came on a Salvador Perez homer in the top of the sixth. Padres starter Robbie Erlin hung a curveball on the inside part of the plate, and Perez yanked the pitch for his third dinger of the season. Unfortunately, the Royals only mustered three other hits until the top of the 11th, including a pair of singles from Alcides Escobar.

Kansas City, however, had other opportunities to score. They loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fourth, but NL rules are lame and Jeremy Guthrie did not drive the runners in.

Escobar almost completed a one-man rally in the top of the ninth. The shortstop smacked a one-out single, then swiped second and third base. Lorenzo Cain followed with a shallow pop-out down the first base line, and Escobar attempted to tag up and score on the play. The throw beat Escobar and the umpire called him out, but some replays suggested that Escobar may have snuck his foot under the tag. Ned Yost did not challenge the play and the umpires felt no need to review it, sending the game into extra innings.

Fortunately for the Royals, Jeremy Guthrie turned in a dominant performance, only allowing one run over eight innings. Guthrie did not exactly overpower the Padres, striking out two hitters, but only gave up four hits.  His only blemish came on a Grandal solo shot in the top of the fourth.

Wade Davis pitched two shutout innings of relief, and Greg Holland tossed a scoreless 11th to earn the save. Perez helped his pitchers, throwing out two runners who dared attempt to steal second against him.

The loss snaps the Royals five-game losing streak and gives them their first win in the month of May. The team will look to win the series tomorrow afternoon when they play their final game in Petco Park. James Shields will take the mound for Kansas City, facing off against Andrew Cashner.