San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - James Shields worked seven scoreless innings and Eric Hosmer had four RBI to lead the Kansas City Royals to an 8-0 rout of the San Diego Padres in the rubber match of a three-game set.
Shields (4-3) allowed seven hits and two walks, while fanning four and giving the Royals their first ever series win in San Diego.
Hosmer finished with three hits, Danny Valencia went 3-for-5 with an RBI and Mike Moustakas also drove in a run for the Royals, who open a four-game set in Seattle on Thursday.
"Right now, I'm just trying to do anything to help the team win. The biggest thing today, coming up with guy's in scoring position and getting runs in," said Hosmer.
"Those are situations that I've got to capitolize on, as an offense, as a whole we've got to captiolize on and we did a good job of that today."
Cameron Maybin, Rene Rivera and Alexi Amarista each had two hits for the Padres, who have lost six of eight.
San Diego starter Andrew Cashner (2-5), in his first career outing against the Royals, lasted four innings and allowed four runs -- two earned -- on seven hits and two walks.
Cashner has fell in four straight starts, being victimized by his offense that hasn't managed a single run in five of his eight starts this season.
"We didn't help [Cashner] at all in the first inning. Like you have to, you've got to make play's," said Padres manager Bud Black. "When you're not scoring runs miscues in the field are magnified and that's what happened today, that's what happened in the first inning."
The Royals attacked Cashner early, scoring three runs in the first. Nori Aoki led off with a single before an infield error placed Alcides Escobar on first. After a successful double steal, Hosmer drove in both runners. Two batters later, Valencia plated Hosmer with a single.
Alex Gordon led off the third with a double and advanced to third on a groundout before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Moustakas.
Kansas City extended its lead in the sixth on a Hosmer RBI single with two outs. Aoki hit a leadoff single and made his way to second on a groundout before scoring.
The Royals tacked on two more runs in the eighth. Jarrod Dyson walked to lead off and two outs later, Escobar singled to send Dyson to third. Dyson scored on a passed ball and Hosmer drove in Escobar to give Kansas City a 7-0 lead.
In the ninth, Valencia notched the Royals final run on an error at the plate. After a one-out double by Valencia, a wild pitch sent him to third. Dyson reached on a fielder's choice attempt. Valencia came home on the play after Rivera couldn't reel in the Dyson's chopper to second.
Game Notes
The Padres host the Miami Marlins Thursday to open a four-game set ... Shields improved to 13-1 in away games in his last 16 starts dating back to June 28, 2013 ... San Diego went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base, while the Royals went 4-for-12 with RISP and 11 LOB.
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