Wells becomes first 11-game loser in majors after Royals' 17-8 victory

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Mark Teahen had two triples and five RBIs and Tony Pena Jr. had four hits, leading Kansas City past St. Louis 17-8 Thursday night for the Royals' first series win at home against the Cardinals in six years.

Thirteen batters went to the plate in the eight-run second inning and 10 batted in the six-run fourth for Kansas City's feast-or-famine offense.

The Royals have averaged 9.57 runs in their seven wins this month, including a 17-5 drubbing last Sunday against Philadelphia. But if the Royals aren't scoring large, they're hardly scoring at all, averaging only 1.5 runs in six June losses.

Kansas City had 15 hits and the Cardinals had 11. It was the third time in franchise history the Royals scored six or more runs in an inning twice in the same game, and the Cardinals' most lopsided loss since a 20-6 rout last June 20 at the Chicago White Sox.

Teahen had an RBI single in the second inning, a two-run triple in the fourth and another two-run triple in the sixth, marking the 26th time in club history someone tripled twice in one game.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kip Wells adjusted his cap after hitting Kansas City Royals' David DeJesus with a pitch with the bases loaded in the second inning Thursday. (ED ZURGA ~ Associated Press)

Pena had a double and three singles. David DeJesus and Emil Brown both had three RBIs and Alex Gordon, for the second night in a row, crushed a home run that measured more than 420 feet.

Kip Wells, the first pitcher in the majors to 10 losses, became the first to 11. The right-hander (2-11), was charged with six runs on three hits and four walks in 1 1-3 innings, his shortest outing off the year, and lost his eighth straight decision.

Royals starter Scott Elarton was almost equally ineffective, lasting only two-plus innings and allowing six runs and five hits with three walks. The victory went to reliever Zack Greinke (4-4), who pitched four innings and gave up a run and four hits.

The Cardinals, who lost two of three in Kansas City, got home runs from Albert Pujols and Chris Duncan, who had a three-run shot off Elarton and an RBI single off Greinke.

Joey Gathright drew Wells' fourth walk, loading the bases with one out in the second, and a run came home when Wells hit DeJesus with an 0-2 pitch.

Esteban German then knocked Wells out of the game with a two-run single, bringing an ineffective Randy Flores out of the bullpen.

Teahen greeted Flores with an RBI single, and Brown's two-run double put the Royals on top 7-4.

Pena made it 9-4 a few minutes later with his second single of the inning.

The Cardinals came back with two in the third, getting a run on Rolen's sacrifice fly and Duncan's RBI single. A run scored in the St. Louis first on a double play grounder before Duncan gave the Cards a short-lived 4-1 lead with a three-run homer in the second.

Noteworthy

• Losing two of the three games meant the Cardinals lost their first series in Kansas City since getting swept three in 2001.
• Juan Encarnacion singled to stretch his hitting streak to 14 games.
• Pena was the first Royal to get two hits in an inning since Gathright last Sept. 30 at Detroit.
• The eight-run second was their biggest since the Royals scored 10 last Aug. 23 against Cleveland.
• Royals second baseman Mark Grudzielanek will have surgery on his left knee for the second time since March, and the team doesn't know how long he'll be out. Team physician Dr. Steve Joyce will perform the procedure today. Grudzielanek, a Gold Glove winner last year, leads the team with 18 doubles