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Tuesday, Aug. 8 8:05pm ET
Jays' Castillo wins eighth straight decision | |||||
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GAME LOG
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Frank Castillo spent last season in the minors, then barely made the Toronto Blue Jays in spring training. Now, he is having a dream season. Castillo allowed just four hits in seven innings Tuesday night and beat the Royals 6-1 for his eighth consecutive victory. "He is probably the best pitcher they have right now," Kansas City manager Tony Muser. "He got us to swing at some first balls that weren't quality strikes." Castillo shut down the Royals on 83 efficient pitches, allowing only three singles and Johnny Damon's home run. Castillo (9-5), who has not lost since June 1 when Minnesota beat him 5-1 at SkyDome, walked none and was in complete command as the Blue Jays snapped a seven-game road losing streak. Facing only three batters over the minimum, he dropped his ERA from 4.07 to 3.91. "More than anything, I'm pitching with confidence," the right-hander said. "I never had eight straight wins before." The Blue Jays went into spring training hoping Joey Hamilton could rebound from shoulder surgery and win a spot in the rotation. When he didn't, they went to Plan B and went with Castillo. "If Joey Hamilton had been ready, he probably wouldn't have made the club," manager Jim Fregosi said. "We kept him as insurance. He gets all his pitches over the plate and doesn't walk many people at all." While going 7-5 in Triple-A Nashville last year, the 31-year-old Castillo never gave up. "I still had confidence in myself back then," he said. "Now I feel good. It was just a matter of believing in myself and taking advantage of an opportunity." Mac Suzuki (5-7) went 3 2-3 innings in his shortest start of the year, allowing six runs and 10 hits, raising his ERA to 3.91. Suzuki fell to 0-5 at home. In his last seven starts at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals have scored just eight runs. Alex Gonzalez, Mickey Morandini and Brad Fullmer each had three hits for the Blue Jays, who scored two runs in the third on RBI singles by Dave Martinez and Carlos Delgado. Toronto then mounted a four-run rally with two outs in the fourth. Morandini, Shannon Stewart, Gonzalez and Martinez hit consecutive singles. After Suzuki hit Delgado with a pitch, Fullmer hit a two-run single to right that put the Blue Jays on top 6-0. "Fullmer hit a first pitch splitter but everything else was fastballs and sliders," Suzuki said. Damon homered with two outs in the sixth. Notes: Toronto OF Raul Mondesi will undergo season-ending elbow surgery next Monday. ... The Blue Jays had not lost eight straight on the road since 10- and 12-game skids in 1979. ... Toronto RF Martinez made a fine catch of McCarty's drive in the fifth, making the catch with his back nearly scrapping the fence. ... The Royals' best defensive play belonged to 3B Joe Randa, who dove to his left to snare Stewart's hot smash in the eighth and threw him out by a step. ... Damon's homer was just the second for the Royals in 12 games. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Toronto Clubhouse Kansas City Clubhouse RECAPS Seattle 12 Chi. White Sox 4
Seattle 7
Toronto 6
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