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BALTIMORE -- Jeremy Guthries incentive to win had nothing to do with beating his former team. The right-hander was far more interested in helping the Kansas City Royals maintain the momentum they generated during the first five weeks of the season, and in that regard, his outing against the Baltimore Orioles was a success. Guthrie allowed one earned run in six innings, and the Royals hit a season-high three homers in a 6-2 victory Thursday night. Facing the Orioles for the first time since they traded him to Colorado in February 2012, Guthrie (5-0) gave up seven hits and three walks while lowering his ERA to 2.28. During his five seasons with Baltimore, Guthrie won 47 games and started three times on opening day. In his return to Camden Yards, his focus was entirely on helping the Royals end a three-game skid. "I was just trying to win the game," Guthrie said. "We had a nice April and were trying to stay consistent here and compete against good teams." And pitching against Baltimore? "I think someone else put it this way: Weve turned the page," Guthrie said. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said exactly that. "I didnt pay much attention to that part of it," Showalter said. "Weve kind of turned the page." After going 3-9 with Colorado, Guthrie has been a star for the Royals since his arrival last July. Hes 10-0 since Aug. 8 and has gone a franchise-record 18 straight starts without a loss. This outing was more of the same. "I executed a few pitches, made a couple mistakes," he said. "But our offence did what weve been doing all year when Ive been out there -- score big runs, tack on a couple of extra ones." Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer both connected against Freddy Garcia (0-1) with a runner on in the fourth inning to put Kansas City up 4-0. It was Gordons third home run in three games and Hosmers first in 145 at-bats dating to last year. Mike Moustakas homered in the seventh to make it 5-2. The Royals came in with an AL-low 19 home runs, so the three long balls served as a rare power surge. "We broke out and hit some homers," manager Ned Yost said. "(Hosmer) got on the board with a homer. Alex is swinging the bat really well. And Moose did a great job, left-on-left, hitting a slider. Good to see that." Chris Davis homered for the Orioles, whose season-high run of four straight wins ended. It was the fourth time this year that Baltimore missed a sweep by losing the final game of a series. Making his second start with the Orioles, Garcia gave up four runs, five hits and a walk in six innings. "I felt pretty good," the right-hander said. "One bad inning, two bad pitches. I was behind in the count to both hitters and I gave up two home runs, five runs. I was trying to do my best and tried to keep the guys in the game. Thats all I can do." Baltimore got an unearned run in the second inning, courtesy of shortstop Alcides Escobars third error in two games. After Escobars poor throw enabled Adam Jones to reach first, Matt Wieters singled and J.J. Hardy drove in a run with a bloop single to centre. It was the first time in three starts that Guthrie gave up a run. He was coming off his first career shutout, a four-hitter against the White Sox Garcia retired the first 10 batters he faced, a streak that ended when Lorenzo Cain got an infield single with one out in the fourth. Gordon followed with a shot over the right-field scoreboard, and after Billy Butler singled, Hosmer hit an opposite-field drive into the left-field seats -- his first homer since Sept. 11. "It was definitely a sigh of relief," Hosmer said. "I knew it was a pretty long time. I wasnt too worried about it. I just wanted to stay with my approach and try to stay through the middle and not miss good pitches." Davis got the Orioles to 4-2 in the bottom half with his 10th home run. Moustakas greeted rookie reliever T.J. McFarland with a leadoff homer in the seventh. Moustakas also homered on Wednesday night. NOTES: The start of the game was delayed for 31 minutes while the grounds crew waited for a shower that never arrived. ... The Orioles placed RHP Miguel Gonzalez (thumb) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled RHP Alex Burnett from Triple-A Norfolk. Burnett made his Baltimore debut in the eighth inning ... The Royals traded 3B Brandon Wood to Baltimore for cash. Wood, who was playing for Triple-A Omaha, will report to Norfolk. ... Baltimore leadoff hitter Nate McLouth has reached safely in 21 of his last 26 starts. ... Baltimore sends Jason Hammel (5-1) to the mound Friday night for the opener of a three-game series in Minnesota. The Royals head home for three games against New York. ... Steve Johnson will come off the disabled list and start for Baltimore on Saturday, Showalter said. . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. . With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position. .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. More than 300 of Australias Olympians have returned home to an official welcome but the biggest hugs have come from their families.Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Governor-General Peter Cosgrove greeted chef de mission Kitty Chiller and flag bearers Anna Meares and Kim Brennan as they left the plane on Wednesday morning.This is a family occasion. The big Australian family - 24 million of us, Mr Turnbull said to the Sydney airport crowd.I know you felt in your heart the support of the whole nation as we celebrated your successes and as we watched you write the latest chapter of Olympic history.We embrace you, we applaud you, we have been inspired by you, we are so proud of you.Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Sport Minister Sussan Ley also greeted the lead team.Cycling champion Meares, who won a bronze medal, said leading the team was a career highlight.Medal winners travelled business class on the Qantas charters, which rowing gold medallist Brennan described as a real treat.This has been a wonderful team to be a part of,, a great team to lead and I couldnt ask for a better way to start Rio and come home, she told Seven.ddddddddddddFamily members greeted the other athletes with hugs and kisses in a ceremony at the Qantas hangar.Swimmer Mack Horton, who won gold in the 400m, said he was excited to be home but sad to be leaving the team.His mum Cheryl was delighted to have him back and was proud of his and the teams achievements.The whole team has done an amazing job, in particular the way they handled themselves when things havent gone as they had hoped, she told Seven.And there was special praise for her son: He is amazing, what can I say? He takes after his mother.Surprise gold medallist Chloe Esposito said she was glad Australia could watch her win the countrys first medal in the modern pentathlon and her achievement was still to hit home.Its so special and it really is sinking in now seeing all of this, she said. ' ' '
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