Royals All-Star Gordon leaves game after awkward step

Along the way, Alex Gordon was on base eight times with seven hits and six RBIs, raising his batting average 18 points to.280. After the first out was recorded, Logan Forsythe walked and moved to third on David DeJesus’ double.

Guthrie gave up two runs in 7 1-3 innings Friday against Minnesota but the Royals needed 10 innings for a 3-2 victory.

If Game One of the doubleheader today is any indication, the KC Royals and the Tampa Bay Rays are going to play a classic day of baseball.

Sean Rodriguez, who helped Polanco in that rescue, was hit by a pitch from Joaquin Benoit (5-4) leading off the eighth, and Polanco tripled with two outs to give the Pirates their fourth straight win. The left fielder collapsed to the ground and lay there as Forsythe rounded the bases for an inside-the-park homer. Rays right-hander Chris Archer (9-6), who was a candidate to start the All-Star Game, had his worst outing of his career, giving up a career-high nine runs and 12 hits in six innings.

In a scary moment for AL Central-leading Kansas City, Gordon had to be carted off the field in the fourth inning of a 9-7 victory over Tampa Bay.

He was headed back to Kansas City for the second time this season. The Rays’ ace hobbled around a bit but stayed in the game, and appeared to be fine when he fanned Dyson for the second out.

Archer had given up only four runs total in his previous seven road starts.

Alex Colome, who was scheduled to start Monday, will work out of the Rays’ bullpen.

The Royals’ past three wins have each featured game-ending hits, while the Rays have lost four of their past five games in the same walk-off fashion. John Jaso, fresh off the disabled list, had three hits and is hitting. But he was on his game against the Astros, who managed to get only one run past second base into the seventh inning. 500 for the first time since it was 24-25 on May 29.

Royals LHP Jason Vargas threw 60 pitches in a simulated game Wednesday. Matt Andriese will be summoned from Triple-A Durham to start Game 2 as the 26th man. He will make a rehab start for Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Monday, Yost said.

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura returns from the DL to start for the first time since June 12. This year has been far from ideal from him, but it is exciting that he was named an All-Star and hopefully it is a sign of things to come as much as it is a reflection of his solid first-half numbers.