Apr 18, 2018 3 min read

Teoscar Hernandez had four hits, including a two-run home run, Curtis Granderson hit his ninth career grand slam and the Toronto Blue Jays routed Kansas City 15-5 Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep of the Royals, losers of eight straight.

Hernandez singled and scored in the first, homered in the third, flied out in the fourth, singled in the sixth and hit a two-run triple in the seventh. It was the first four-hit game of his career.

Needing a double for the cycle, Hernandez struck out swinging in the eighth against reliever Brian Flynn.

Granderson’s slam, which came off Justin Grimm, was the big blow in a six-run eighth. Toronto set season highs with 15 runs and 15 hits.

Yangervis Solarte also homered for the Blue Jays, a solo shot in the third. Solarte had two hits and a walk and scored each time he reached base.

Toronto (12-5) is off to its best start since 2009.

J.A. Happ (3-1) allowed five hits and four runs in six innings to win his third straight start as the Blue Jays won their fourth straight and eighth of nine.

After losing its first two home games of the season, Toronto has won seven of eight at Rogers Centre. The Jays have outscored opponents 67-40 in 10 home games.

Toronto has won 12 of its past 15 home meetings with Kansas City.

Whit Merrifield had a two-run homer and Jorge Soler hit a solo blast, but the Royals’ April slide continued.

Hernandez and Solarte connected off Kansas City’s Ian Kennedy (1-2). The right-hander allowed six runs, four earned, and eight hits in five innings.

Detroit 6, Baltimore 5: Dixon Machado led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run, capping a wild final two innings and lifting the Detroit Tigers to a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The Tigers led 2-1 before both teams scored three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth.

Tampa Bay 4, Texas 2: Jake Faria won for the first time since last July 25, allowing one run over six innings to lead the Tampa Bay Rays over the Cole Hamels and the Texas Rangers 4-2. Faria struck out six and walked one. He had been 0-4 in eight starts and two relief appearances since beating Baltimore.

Hamels gave up two hits through five scoreless innings before the Rays rallied to take a 3-1 in the sixth on Daniel Robertson’s RBI double, C.J Cron’s run-scoring single and Adeiny Hechavarria’s sacrifice fly.

Milwaukee 2, Cincinnati 0: Milwaukee center fielder Christian Yelich returned from the disabled list and made a snazzy sliding catch on a fly ball by Alex Blandino that deflected off the glove of left fielder Hernan Perez, and the Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 2-0. Zach Davies allowed three hits over 6 1/3 innings to win for the first time in four starts this season, and Eric Thames hit a two-run homer.