"If Alex Gordon succeeds in resurrecting what was once viewed as immense potential - and wouldn't that be nice? - then remember what happened Friday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Gordon reversed a miserable evening, for himself and the Royals, with a dramatic three-run homer that produced a 7-5 walk-off victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

"At first, I kind of knew (it was out)," Gordon said, "but I've been having some bad luck. I was just hoping someone wasn't going to jump over the fence and catch it. It seemed like I got around the bases pretty quickly."

Gordon had just four hits in 28 previous at-bats in his seven games since returning from Class AAA Omaha. He was also hitless in four at-bats Friday while stranding six runners.

"It looked like Gordon sold out on a heater and got it," Orioles third baseman Ty Wigginton said. "He just cheated and got a hold of it."

Gordon drove a 1-0 pitch from Orioles closer Alfredo Simon through a light drizzle into the right-field seats - and gave a sharp fist pump as the ball cleared the wall. He was mobbed by teammates at the plate.

It was the Royals' first walk-off homer in more than two years and only the third in franchise history to erase a deficit with two outs in the ninth inning.

It also enabled the Royals to break a five-game skid and win for just the fourth time in their last 18 games. They also moved one game ahead of Cleveland in the battle to avoid last place in the American League Central Division."