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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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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.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Kansas City Clubhouse
RECAPS
Seattle 12
Chi. White Sox 4
Seattle 7
Chi. White Sox 5
(2nd game)
Texas 11
Cleveland 2
Detroit 4
Baltimore 1
NY Yankees 4
Oakland 3
Tampa Bay 5
Minnesota 0
Toronto 6
Kansas City 1
Anaheim 2
Boston 1
Atlanta 5
Cincinnati 4
Philadelphia 10
San Diego 4
Houston 9
NY Mets 3
Florida 7
St. Louis 0
Colorado 6
Pittsburgh 1
Montreal 9
Arizona 3
Los Angeles 7
Chicago Cubs 5
San Francisco 1
Milwaukee 0
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