Miguel Gonzalez takes the loss and O's go 1-3 in Kansas City to end trip

At least this time there was no late-inning heartache. But a road trip that began with such promise ended with a thud for the Orioles, who lost 7-1 tonight at Kansas City. After scoring 23 runs in starting this trip 4-0, the Orioles scored just six runs the last three nights in losing the final three games of a four-game series at Kansas City. The Royals led 3-0 in the second against O's starter Miguel Gonzalez and they knocked him from the game during a three-run fifth. Gonzalez allowed eight hits and a season-high six runs in his shortest outing of the season, going 4 2/3 innings. He is now 8-4 with an ERA of 3.69. Gonzalez had recorded eight consecutive quality starts, going 6-1 with a 2.35 ERA while O's pitchers had recorded seven in a row and 10 in the last 11 games before tonight. The winning pitcher was former Oriole Jeremy Guthrie, who went six innings allowing just one run on six hits to improve to 10-7 with a 4.27 ERA. Guthrie had worked to an ERA of 6.23 over his last six starts. The O's scored their only run in the fifth. Henry Urrutia, who went 2-for-4, tripled with two outs and scored on Brian Roberts' double. Roberts has 10 RBIs in his last 14 games. With this win, Kansas City is 2-1 against Boston, 5-1 against Tampa Bay and 4-3 against the Orioles for a record of 11-5 against the top three clubs in the AL East. So after heading into Tuesday's game with eight wins in nine games, the Orioles come home with a three-game losing streak. They begin a nine-game homestand Friday night. The Orioles, now four games out in the AL East, host Boston in a three-game series that begins tomorrow night at Camden Yards.