Jones and Markakis each have 3 RBIs, Orioles deny Greinke in 7-3 win over Royals

Jones homers, helps Orioles rally past Royals 7-3

BALTIMORE — Adam Jones homered and drove in three runs, Nick Markakis also had three RBIs, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 Wednesday night.

Kansas City did not have an assist in the game. The last team to go a game without an assist was Tampa Bay on May 17, 2003, also in a loss — eight innings in the field — to Baltimore, according to STATS LLC. Only five teams in big league history have done it for at least nine innings.

After Kansas City starter Zach Greinke pitched six innings of five-hit ball and left with a 3-2 lead, the Orioles went ahead with a three-run seventh that kept the Royals’ ace winless in July.

Alberto Callaspo, Miguel Olivo and Mike Jacobs homered off Baltimore’s Chris Tillman in his major league debut. The 21-year-old Tillman allowed three runs, seven hits and a walk in 4 2-3 innings but left to a standing ovation from the crowd of 19,741.

Tillman was the fifth Orioles starter to make his debut this year — and the only one who didn’t earn a victory.

Robinson Tejada (1-1) followed Greinke and promptly walked the first two batters in the seventh. Jones then doubled in a run off John Bale, and Markakis followed with a line-drive single that easily cleared the drawn-up infield.

Markakis and Aubrey Huff added RBI singles in the eighth.

Matt Albers (2-4), who rescued Tillman with two on in the fifth, gave up one hit in 2 1-3 innings and Jim Johnson worked two innings for his second save.

Greinke went 0-3 in five starts this month despite allowing only nine runs in 32 innings. In this one, the right-hander yielded two runs in the first before limiting Baltimore to one hit over the next five innings.

Greinke’s ERA rose to 2.08, still the best in the AL, and his seven strikeouts moved him past Steve Busby into eighth place on the Royals career list with 661.

Tillman, meanwhile, had difficulty keeping the ball down. The three homers were evidence of that, as was the fact that the Royals didn’t hit a groundball until Yuniesky Betancourt bounced into a double play in the fifth.

Tillman yielded only five homers in 18 starts this season with Triple-A Norfolk.

Greinke was fortunate to get out of the first inning in a 2-0 hole. After Brian Roberts led off with a single, Jones homered to left — his third first-inning drive in as many games. Baltimore then used a double, a walk and a hit batter to load the bases before Gregg Zaun struck out.

Tillman got off to a good start by retiring the side in order in the first, but Callaspo and Olivo hit solo homers in the second to tie it. Callaspo’s homer extended his hitting streak to a season-high 11 games.

Jacobs put the Royals up 3-2 in the fourth with his 14th home run.

NOTESCincinnati was the last team to go without an assist while playing at least nine innings in the field, in 1997. … The start of the game was delayed by rain for 41 minutes. … Mitch Maier broke an 0-for-18 skid with two doubles and a walk. … To make room for Tillman, the Orioles put LHP Rich Hill (shoulder) on the 15-day disabled list. … KC RHP Gil Meche (back strain) threw 52 pitches in a simulated game Wednesday and could be sent to the minors for a rehab assignment if he feels OK Thursday, manager Trey Hillman said.