Royals Slip Past Orioles

Carlos Beltran didn't deliver the Kansas City Royals' fourth game-winning homer in as many days. His soft single had the same effect.

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.

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 Snchez.

"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.

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