KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alcides Escobar hit a bases-clearing double to break a sixth-inning tie, and Alex Gordon went 4-for-5 and drove in four runs, lifting the Kansas City Royals to a 7-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night and a doubleheader sweep.
Gordon went 7-for-9, including a solo homer in the first game, with six RBIs in the two games.
Paulo Orlando hit a walk-off, ninth-inning grand slam in the day game as the Royals won 9-5. Orlando, who was recalled Monday from Triple-A Omaha, drove a 1-0 Brad Boxberger changeup into the Royals’ bullpen.
In the second game, the score was tied at 1 when Escobar came to the plate in the sixth with second baseman Omar Infante on third, third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert on second and center fielder Jarrod Dyson on first.
Escobar fell behind in the count to right-hander Brandon Gomes 0-2 and fouled off five pitches with two strikes, working the count full. The shortstop then punched a 91 mph fastball down the left field line to score all three runners.
Gordon singled home Escobar with the final run of the inning as the Royals batted around. The left fielder added a two-run double in the eighth.
Gomes (1-4) walked a batter and hit a batter to set up Escobar’s clutch double. He allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning.
Rookie left-hander Brandon Finnegan (2-0) worked 1 1/3 hitless innings, walking one, to pick up the victory.
The Rays failed to get a hit in four innings off relievers Finnegan, Luke Hochevar and Ryan Madson.
Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez gave up doubles to designated hitter John Jaso to leadoff the first and to second baseman Logan Forsythe to start the second, but the Blue Jays failed to advance them.
Volquez struck out the side in the second as the Jays went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in the first five innings, stranding seven, after going 1-for-10 with men in scoring position in the opener.
Jaso made sure the Rays got on the board in the third when he ripped a 93 mph Volquez fastball over the right field fence. It was Jaso’s third hit in as many at-bats this season after missing 87 days with a left wrist injury.
The Royals tied it in the fifth. Center fielder Jarrod Dyson walked with one out and promptly stole second, his 10th swipe in 11 attempts. Gordon singled into shallow center to get Dyson home.
Tampa Bay right-hander Matt Andriese, who was brought up from Triple-A Durham as the 26th man for the doubleheader, did not make it out of the fifth. After he walked designated hitter Kendrys Morales, left-hander Everett Teaford was summoned to face first baseman Eric Hosmer and retired him a comebacker.
Andriese wound up charged with one run in 4 2/3 innings.
Volquez was pulled after five innings and 101 pitches, He allowed one run on five hits while striking out five and walking three.
NOTES: The Rays placed rookie OF Steven Souza Jr. on the disabled list with a right little finger laceration. OF/1B/DH John Jaso, who went on the disabled list after the first game with left wrist contusion, was reinstated. He singled as a pinch hitter in the seventh in the opener and started the second game as the DH. … The Rays designated RHP Preston Guilmet for assignment. … Royals 3B Cheslor Cuthbert singled in the third inning of the opener for his first major league hit in his debut. … Rays RHP Chris Archer and Royals RHP Jeremy Guthrie are the pitching probables for Wednesday. … Royals LHP Jason Vargas was scheduled to throw a 60-pitch simulated game Tuesday, but that was put off until Wednesday because of the day-night doubleheader. … Royals All-Star CF Lorenzo Cain was held out of both games because of a tender hamstring.