Danny Duffy takes perfect game into seventh as Royals beat Orioles

Danny Duffy took a perfect game into the seventh inning tonight as the left-hander pitched Kansas City to a 1-0 win over the Orioles at Kauffman Stadium.

This was the Orioles' first 1-0 loss since Sept. 20, 2008 against the Yankees in New York. They were held to a season-low three hits.

The Orioles had a chance against Royals closer Greg Holland in the ninth. With one out, Manny Machado singled, sending Nick Markakis, who had walked, to third base. But Holland struck out Adam Jones for the second out. After walking Chris Davis, Holland fanned Nelson Cruz with the bases loaded to end it.

Duffy was brilliant as he retired the first 20 batters he faced before Jones came up with a groundball single to center with two down in the seventh. Duffy then got Davis to pop out and end the inning.

The disappointing part for the Orioles was how well Bud Norris pitched in taking the loss. He went 7 1/3 innings, giving up just the one run on four hits with one walk and one strikeout. Norris falls to 2-4 with an ERA of 3.58.

This was the sixth time in the last nine games an O's starter went seven innings or more. That had happened just five times in the season's first 32 games.

But Duffy was just a little better. The Orioles only had two hard-hit outs through six innings. Duffy gave up a leadoff single to Cruz in the eighth and was lifted. He went seven-plus innings on just two hits.

Duffy is now 2-3 with an ERA of 1.42. He made six relief appearances to begin the season, but now has made three starts in a row, giving up just two runs on six hits over 17 innings against the Tigers, Mariners and Orioles.

The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the last of the first. Nori Aoki led off with an infield hit to shortstop. With two outs, he stole second and scored on Billy Butler's RBI single to center. It was Butler's 15th RBI.

The Orioles' five-game road win streak ended. They have allowed just nine runs over their last six road games.

The Orioles fall 13-9 in road games for the season, 9-11 against non-American League East teams, 3-3 against Kansas City and 22-19 overall.

In the finale of this four-game series on Sunday afternoon, Ubaldo Jimenez (2-4, 4.02 ERA) pitches against Kansas City's James Shields (5-3, 2.54 ERA).