Miami, FL (Betting Express) - Jose Guillen homered and drove in four runs as Kansas City downed Florida, 9-3, in the rubber match of a three-game interleague set at Dolphin Stadium.
Mark Teahen added a two-run homer for the Royals, who have won six of their past seven games. Miguel Olivo finished 2-for-5 with an RBI double.
Zack Greinke (5-1) allowed three runs on nine hits, while walking one and striking out five in six innings to pick up the win.
Mike Jacobs belted a solo home run for the Marlins, who have dropped five of six games. Jeremy Hermida and Dan Uggla each chipped in with an RBI.
Burke Badenhop (1-3) was touched for six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits in just three innings en route to the loss.
The Royals jumped on Badenhop with a pair of runs in the first. David DeJesus led off the game with a single up the middle and moved to third on Alex Gordon's one-out single before Guillen laced a two-run double off the wall in left.
Kansas City broke things open with four more runs in the third. Mark Grudzielanek opened the frame with a single and Gordon followed by drawing a walk. Guillen slapped a weak grounder to third that Jorge Cantu fielded but threw away, enabling both Grudzielanek and Gordon to cross the plate. Teahen then capped the frame by drilling a Badenhop offering over the wall in left- center to make it a 6-0 game.
Florida managed to scratch out a run against Greinke in the home-half of the third. The Marlins quickly loaded the bases thanks to a Luis Gonzalez double. a Matt Treanor infield single and an Robert Andino walk. After Alfredo Amezaga popped out, Hermida chased home a run with a ground ball to second. Greinke averted any further trouble by fanning Hanley Ramirez.
Jacobs quickly made it a 6-2 game when he led off the fourth by lacing a Greinke changeup over the fence in right for his 11th homer of the year.
The Marlins continued to chip away with another run in the sixth. Ramirez singled to right and came around to score after Uggla crushed a double off the top of the wall in left-center. The Marlins missed out on another run, however when Gonzalez grounded a two-out single to left and Guillen gunned down Uggla at the plate.
The Royals finally stemmed the tide and secured things with a big three-run seventh. Grudzielanek started things with a single to left and, after Gordon flied out, Guillen turned on a Logan Kensing fastball and deposited it over the wall in left for his fifth homer of the season.
Teahen kept things going by drawing a walk and swiping second. After Kensing issued another walk to Billy Butler, Florida pulled the plug and went to Justin Miller, who was promptly greeted by an Olivo RBI double to make it a 9-3 game.
Game Notes
Guillen finished the series 6-for-12 with eight RBI and now has a 10-game hitting streak...The Royals are now just 88-108 all-time in interleague play, while the Marlins still own an impressive 106-83 mark in games played against the AL...Ramirez, who finished 1-for-4 with a run scored for Florida, agreed to a six-year contract extension Saturday, believed to be worth as much as $70 million, representing the largest contract in club history...Royals pinch hitter Matt Tupman singled in his first major league at-bat in the ninth inning.