Pedro Ciriaco reacts after being hit in the tenth inning (MLB/Photo)

Pedro Ciriaco reacts after being hit in the tenth inning (MLB/Photo)

Before Thursday night’s game in Toronto, the Kansas City Royals changed up their coaching assignments.  The Royals named Dale Sveum the hitting coach and Mike Jirschele their third base coach. Pedro Grifol, who took over as hitting coach last season, was reassigned as a catching instructor.

The Royals finished with 14 hits in an 8-6 win in ten innings over the Blue Jays.  Manager Ned Yost was happy with the results.

“They sure looked a lot better tonight,” Yost said. “That’s kind of what you hope for. You get a different voice and it kind of snaps everybody back to reality a little bit.”

The Royals rallied with a run in the ninth and then added two in the tenth for the victory.  Alcides Escobar singled to leadoff the 10th. Pedro Ciriaco was hit by a pitch while squaring to bunt and Nori Aoki moved over the runners with a sacrifice before Omar Infante lined a two-run single  over the head of  third baseman Brett Lawrie.

Wade Davis (4-1) worked two innings for the win and Greg Holland closed it out for his 15th save in 16 chances.

The Royals rallied to tie in the ninth with an unearned run after two outs.  After Billy Butler was thrown out from right field, a play you see right out of Little League, Alex Gordon singled.  Jarrod Dyson pinch ran and stole second, then scored when Salvador Perez hit a grounder to short, where Jose Reyes bounced a throw into first.  Edwin Encarnacion couldn’t handle the throw and Dyson crossed the plate.