Taveras' homer and 3 RBIs carry the Orioles to an 8-2 win over the Royals for a 3-game sweep

BALTIMORE (AP) — Leody Taveras homered and drove in three runs, Samuel Basallo added a solo shot and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 8-2 Sunday for a three-game sweep.

The game was interrupted in the seventh inning when several players from both teams converged around the plate after Kansas City's Lucas Erceg hit Blaze Alexander on the left hand with a pitch. The off-target pitch came immediately after Erceg yielded Basallo's homer to make it 8-2.

Alexander shouted at Erceg, and Orioles manager Craig Albernaz quickly stepped in to restrain Alexander. Players from both dugouts and bullpens approached, but no punches were thrown, no one was shoved and no one was ejected. But Albernaz revealed after the game that Alexander has a nondisplaced fracture of his left hand.

Alexander had two hits and scored twice for the Orioles, who enter the All-Star break with their first four-game winning streak of the season.

Taveras hit a two-run homer in the second inning, a drive estimated at 448 feet. He also singled in the tiebreaking run during a five-run sixth that put Baltimore up 7-2.

Lane Thomas went 3 for 4 with an RBI for the Royals, who were swept for the eighth time this season, most in the majors. Kansas City's fifth straight defeat left the last-place team a season-high 21 games under .500 (38-59).

Baltimore's big sixth inning was fueled by a fly ball that Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone lost in the sun and a balk that forced in a run. Taveras made it 3-2 with an RBI single and Jeremiah Jackson had a pinch-hit RBI double before Taveras scored on a balk by Matt Strahm (3-3).

Orioles starter Shane Baz was lifted after throwing 104 pitches over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and allowed one earned run.

Grant Wolfram (2-2), the second of five Baltimore relievers, got the win.

After the All-Star break, KC resumes play Friday night at home against San Diego. Baltimore follows the break with a matchup Friday night in Houston.

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Baltimore Orioles' Blaze Alexander dives safely for second base after getting a late start on a popup lost in the sun to Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone in the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo, right, and pitcher Andrew Kittredge, left, celebrate after a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Kansas City Royals pitcher Matt Strahm, front, pauses after giving up four runs to the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Baltimore Orioles' Gunnar Henderson follows through on a single against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo throws against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Baltimore Orioles' Leody Taveras follows through on a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies will start Tuesday night's All-Star Game in his home ballpark, taking the mound for the National League against Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays announced Sunday that Cease will be the American League's starter. Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who is managing the NL, said Sanchez is his starter.

“I think he deserves it. He’s the hometown ballplayer and I think the city of Philly will enjoy watching him and supporting him,” Roberts said. “I had a conversation with him this morning. ... He was very grateful. In a time when guys are not wanting to participate, this guy in the Midsummer Classic for fans, I think this is a good thing. He’s very excited about pitching.”

Also Sunday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said New York's Cam Schlittler was not planning to pitch in the All-Star Game, then hours later said the right-hander could be available after all.

With less than 72 hours left before the game, there was no replacement planned for the AL roster if Schlittler wasn't going to pitch.

“The staff's had a lot of injuries this year ... I don't want to put that risk in there of kind of letting the team down,” Schlittler said after New York's win at Washington. “I'm on the roster, and if they need me I'll throw. That's a conversation I'll have within the next day or two.”

Schlittler was a candidate to start, boasting an AL-leading ERA of 2.05. He pitched for the Yankees on Saturday.

Sanchez is 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA this season. He's third in the major leagues with 144 strikeouts. The left-hander's streak of 50 2/3 scoreless innings was a highlight of the major league season so far.

Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski, who leads the majors in ERA (1.62), WHIP (0.76) and strikeouts (167), was replaced on the All-Star team earlier in the week, when it appeared he would be starting for the Brewers on Sunday. Then Milwaukee scratched him from that start because of arm fatigue.

Cease is 6-4 with a 2.56 ERA for the Blue Jays. He nearly threw his second career no-hitter Wednesday against San Francisco, but it was broken up in the ninth inning.

Cease is the first Toronto pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Roy Halladay in 2009.

Cease got the word from his manager, John Schneider, who will skipper the AL squad, during a team meeting before Sunday’s series finale at San Diego.

“It’s pretty surreal. I didn’t know what to say. Everyone’s saying, ‘Give a speech,’ and I’m like, I was pretty speechless, so it was just a really cool experience,” Cease said.

“It’s really cool how all of these things have lined up, you know, even being able to pitch in it and having a good enough first half to be in the running for it and all that. And the fact that pretty much our entire staff is going, it’s really a really great recipe," Cease added.

AP freelance writers Bernie Wilson in San Diego and Doug Padilla in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease throws against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez throws against the Detroit Tigers in the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)