The Marlins made it interesting against Royals closer Joakim Soria, but not interesting enough. The right-hander allowed his first runs of the season, but buckled down to give KC a 7-6 victory over the Marlins in Florida Friday night.
The Royals benefited from a strong start by Brett Tomko, who earned his first win since April 6, when he shutout Minnesota. The right-hander allowed just two runs on five hits in six innings, although the bullpen almost cost him his victory.
Ramon Ramirez gave up two runs in a third of an inning, while Soria’s ERA ballooned from 0.00 to 1.04 thanks to a two-run homer by Florida’s Jeremy Hermida. Still, Soria managed to pick up the save, and he remains a perfect 11-for-11 in save chances this year.
The Royals offense was carried by Alex Gordon, Jose Guillen, and Miguel Olivo. The trio combined for seven of the Royals eight hits.