Butler reaches 100 homers in career
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Billy Butler finally got his 100th home run. It came in another Kansas City Royals loss.
Butler, Mike Moustakas and Jeff Francoeur homered for the Royals, but the Los Angeles Angels rallied for a 9-7 victory on Friday night.
Pinch hitter Kendrys Morales hit a two-run homer during an eighth-inning rally that sent the Los Angeles Angels over the Kansas City Royals 9-7.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Four hours before the game, a man shot and wounded a female parking lot employee between the stadiums that are home to the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals before killing himself, police said.
The pair were both in their 40s and knew each other, but police did not elaborate on their relationship. The woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition. There was no mention of the shooting over the public address system at Kauffman Stadium.
Butler and Moustakas homered in the second to give the Royals a 2-0 led. Butler's home run, which caromed off a billboard at the top of the Royals' bullpen, was the 100th of his career. He had been stuck on 99 since Aug. 11, going 93 at-bats without a homer. Two batters later Moustakas hit his 20th home run.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I'm glad I got it at home, to do it in front of the home crowd and the reception was great," Butler said. "It's a great feeling. I got a pitch to drive and put a good swing on it."
Butler received a nice ovation and came out of the dugout to tip his cap.
"That was good to see," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "That's a milestone to get behind you."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}What was not good for Yost to see was his bullpen give up a lead for the second straight game. The Angels torched the Royals relievers for four runs, one day after the Minnesota Twins scored three runs the final three innings off the Kansas City bullpen to rally for a 4-3 victory.
Morales homered on the first pitch from Tim Collins (5-3) with Mark Trumbo aboard to make it 7-all. Collins threw 11 pitches, faced four batters and retired none, allowing two singles and hitting Albert Pujols on an 0-2 count.
"We knew Morales is a much, much better left-handed hitter than right-handed hitter and we could see him in the dugout there getting ready so we had Timmy (Collins) ready," Yost said. "A guy coming off the bench is going to be hunting a fastball. Timmy threw him a fastball and it was definitely in a good spot and he hit it a long way."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jeremy Jeffress replaced Collins and walked Torii Hunter on five pitches with the bases loaded to force home Mike Trout with the go-ahead run. Hunter is hitting .431 with 15 RBIs in his past 16 games.
Jordan Walden (3-2), the fourth of six Angels pitchers, picked up the victory, although he threw only two pitches. Ernesto Frieri got his 19th save in 21 opportunities.
The Royals took advantage of second baseman Howie Kendrick's error to score three unearned runs in the sixth. Francoeur, who was hitting just .159 in his previous 20 games, hit a two-run homer with two out. Moustakas' sacrifice fly scored the first run of the inning.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Angels starter C.J. Wilson left with a 4-3 lead in the sixth and got a no-decision. Royals starter Bruce Chen exited with a 6-4 lead in the seventh, but the bullpen failed to maintain it.
The Angels scored four times in the fourth, two on Kendrick's double and two on Alberto Callaspo's two-out single.
The Angels scored an unearned run in the ninth after center fielder Jason Bourgeois' error.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Royals catcher Salvador Perez went 0-for-4, snapping his 17-game hitting streak, which was the longest active streak in the majors.
NOTES: Angels star Albert Pujols returned to first base for the first time since injuring his right leg on Aug. 22 at Boston. He missed four games after the injury and started the next 16 games as the DH before playing first against the Royals. "I think he feels comfortable with it and our medical staff feels comfortable with it," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think he's much more comfortable when he can play the field and contribute to the team." ... Hunter batted cleanup for just the 16th time this season. He had been primarily hitting second. ... RHP Zack Greinke, who won the 2009 Cy Young Award while with the Royals, will start Saturday for the Angels. RHP Jeremy Guthrie, who is 4-0 with a 1.70 ERA in his past seven starts, will start for the Royals.