KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jac Caglianone hit a home run and drove in two as the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 Friday night to clinch the three-game series and snap a three-series losing streak.
Seth Lugo (3-4) pitched six innings in his return from the concussion list after being hit on the forehead by a line drive June 10. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits. Alex Lange earned his fifth save.
Michael McGreevy (3-6) took the loss. He allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings.
Caglianone’s shot was his 10th of the season.
The Cardinals scored a run in the first on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Walker, scoring Ivan Herrera. Walker’s 58th RBI gave him the MLB lead, pending the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz’s game later Friday against the Angels.
Herrera drove in Nathan Church with a single in the third to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
The Royals seized the lead with four runs in the fourth. Lane Thomas led off with a double and scored on a single by Caglianone. Michael Massey’s single drove home Caglianone. After John Rave walked, Isaac Collins drove home Massey and Rave with a double.
The Royals added a run in the fifth on Caglianone’s homer and another on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Tolbert in the sixth.
The Cardinals got three in the ninth off Matt Strahm, but Lange stranded the tying run.
Up next
Following a rare Saturday off-day because of a World Cup match at neighboring Arrowhead Stadium, the Cardinals and Royals conclude their three-game series Sunday. The Cards will send RHP Dusty May (5-6, 3.75 ERA) to the mound to face RHP Stephen Kolek (4-1, 2.68).
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