Royals slam 3 homers to overtook Phillies in three-game series opener

Alex Gordon homered twice and recorded three RBIs to lift the host Kansas City Royals past the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-1, on Friday. Jorge Soler also hit a home run for the Royals, who opened the three-game interleague series with a victory.

Royals starter Homer Bailey tossed five-plus innings and allowed four hits and one run. With the win, Bailey improved to 4-3. Bryce Harper reached base safely all four times for the Phillies with a single and three walks.

Phillies starter Jake Arrieta (4-3) lasted five-plus innings and gave up seven hits and four runs while striking out five and walking three. Arrieta threw 99 pitches, 61 for strikes. The Royals took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when Gordon blasted a 429-foot two-run home run to right field.

Arrieta laboured through the first, throwing 27 pitches. In the fourth, Harper walked and moved to third on a double by J.T. Realmuto. Odubel Herrera then grounded out, scoring Harper with the first Philadelphia run. Cesar Hernandez struck out to end the threat with Realmuto stranded at third.

Kansas City's Billy Hamilton came to the plate in the fourth with runners on first and third and two outs. But Arrieta struck out Hamilton swinging on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. Gordon ripped his second home run of the game with a solo shot to right for a 3-1 advantage in the fifth. The last time Gordon hit two homers in the same game came Aug. 20, 2016. Gordon also registered his 1,500th career hit and his fifth career multi-home-run game.

The Phillies loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but Royals reliever Scott Barlow struck out Herrera and Hernandez. Soler crushed a solo homer to open the sixth off Arrieta for a 4-1 lead. Nine of Soler's 10 homers have been solo shots. Philadelphia finished the game 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. 

(With inputs from agencies.)