KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Royals bullpen had been nearly unhittable this week during a stretch in which Kansas City won six of seven.
That all changed Wednesday night.
Closer Jonathan Broxton and three Kansas City relievers gave up all of Baltimore's runs in a 4-3 loss to the Orioles, with Nate Adcock allowing Adam Jones' home run in the 15th inning.
Starter Felipe Paulino pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out nine, before departing.
Broxton and Kelvin Herrera gave up three runs on six hits in the eighth and ninth innings.
Broxton was given a 3-1 lead in the ninth, but blew his second seven in 10 opportunities and his first since April 11 at Oakland. Broxton gave up a solo homer to Wilson Betemit with one out and three singles to produce the tying run. J.J. Hardy's two-out hit scored pinch-runner Ryan Flaherty to make it 3-all.
"I didn't get the job done," Broxton said. "I threw too many breaking balls that got too much of the plate. I didn't close the deal."
"I take all the blame for this one," he said.
Adcock (0-1), who had not pitched since May 7, gave up three hits and one run in five innings.
"Great pitching from Paulino and great pitching from Adcock," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "They gave us an opportunity to put it away. We just couldn't do it. Nate did a great job. He just left a breaking ball up to Jones. He got a lot of groundballs. He was on the attack and throwing strikes. Paulino was equally as good."
Jones was hitless in six at-bats before connecting for his team-leading 12th home run -- nine of them tying the game or giving the Orioles a lead. Jones sent a 2-2 pitch from Nate Adcock (0-1) far over the left field wall.
Jones came to the plate in the third, eighth and 12th innings with runners in scoring position.
"I had three opportunities earlier with men in scoring position that I did not succeed in, which is by far the most frustrating thing for me," Jones said. "I was 0 for 3. I did not give one of my seven at-bats away. I can live with myself when I do that."
The Orioles improved to 5-0 in extra-inning road games.
Kevin Gregg (1-1) pitched two hitless innings, walking one, to pick up the victory. Jim Johnson earned his 13th save.
Humberto Quintero's two-out single in the fifth scored Jeff Francoeur, who led off the inning with a double, and Alcides Escobar, who was hit by a pitch. It was Quintero's first multi-RBI game with the Royals.
The Orioles cut the lead to 2-1 in the eighth, when Hardy and Nick Markakis led off the inning with doubles against rookie reliever Herrera.
Alex Gordon's two-out double in the eighth scored Mitch Maier to give the Royals a 3-1 advantage. Maier ran for Billy Butler, who had singled for his second hit.
Orioles starter Tommy Hunter yielded two runs on seven hits in seven innings. He threw only 82 pitches and was backed by double plays in three of the first four innings.
Royals second baseman Chris Getz left with a bruised left rib after a collision with Chris Davis on an infield single in the fifth inning. Irving Falu replaced Getz in the seventh inning and singled. Falu has a hit in each of his five big league games.
NOTES: Royals LHP Danny Duffy, who has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, will see Dr. Lewis Yocum on Friday in Tempe, Ariz., for a second opinion. ... The Royals have not announced who will start Friday and Sunday against Arizona. "If everything holds to form," Yost said he would probably start RHP Luis Mendoza Friday and RHP Vin Mazzaro Sunday. Mazzaro made his first start Tuesday at Texas and picked up the victory, allowing three runs in five innings. LHP Brian Matusz, who is 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA in three road appearances, will start Thursday for the Orioles. The Royals will counter with RHP Luke Hochevar, who is 0-2 with an 11.91 ERA in three home starts. ... The Orioles are 11-1 when Jones' homers. ... Royals 1B Eric Hosmer went 0 for 7 to drop his average to .174.
