Wells drives in three as Blue Jays rip Royals

Scott Richmond pitched seven sharp innings, Vernon Wells drove in three runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 8-1 Tuesday night.

Aaron Hill, who leads the majors with 36 hits and has a hit in all but one game this year, had three hits, raising his average to .371, and two RBIs.

Richmond (3-0), a rookie right-hander, limited the Royals to one run and five hits over seven innings. Richmond, a 29-year-old right-hander who pitched three seasons with Edmonton in independent leagues before signing with the Blue Jays in November 2007, walked three and struck out five, lowering his ERA to 2.70.

Royals starter Gil Meche left after 3 2-3 innings with lower back stiffness and will be evaluated further Wednesday.