KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer that highlighted a six-run fifth inning and Kansas City beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0 Friday night in front of the Royals’ second-largest crowd of the season.
Friday night’s attendance of 36,351 at Kauffman Stadium was topped only by the 38,775 on opening day.
The Royals, in third place in the AL Central behind Cleveland and Minnesota, moved 10 games over .500 at 57-47 and eclipsed last season’s win total.
“There’s no significance to that to me,” manager Matt Quatraro said of surpassing last season’s victory total. “This is a different team. None whatsoever. We’re in a playoff race. That has absolutely nothing to do with anything I think about.”
But Brady Singer disagreed.
“It’s huge,” he said. “This team is incredible. We keep talking about it. Let’s continue to win games and continue to fight hard.”
Singer (7-6) was nearly flawless, allowing just two hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking two. The 27-year-old right-hander combined with Will Smith and Chris Stratton to limit the Cubs to four hits.
“I think the two-seamer was really good,” Singer said. “It had a lot of movement. I was able to throw it back-door to the righties and to the front hip to the lefties. It helped me out a lot tonight.”
Kyle Hendricks (2-9) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings in the loss.
“Honestly I made all (my) pitches,” Hendricks said. “I did everything I wanted to do. The Salvy (Perez) one was the one bad pitch. He put a good swing on that. I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing. I feel like I’m throwing the ball well and giving us a chance.”
The fifth inning was key for both pitchers.
Singer hit Mike Tauchman with a pitch leading off the fifth before Dansby Swanson’s soft liner sent Tauchman to third. Swanson went to second on the throw to third. But Singer got Miles Mastrobuoni to ground out to second. Miguel Amaya hit a flyout to center, and Kyle Isbel threw out Tauchman at the plate.
“That whole inning was a swing in momentum,” Quatraro said. “Izzy (Isbel) was kicking himself for throwing to third. We get the first out on a groundout and then he makes a perfect throw and Salvy was set up perfectly. That’s a gigantic swing in momentum right there.”
The Royals unloaded on Hendricks in their half of the inning. With two outs, Garrett Hampson had a hit to right, and Isbel followed with a single through the hole at short. Isbel stole second before Adam Frazier drove in both runs with another blooper to right. Bobby Witt Jr. then singled and Vinnie Pasquantino’s single drove in Frazier. Perez then launched a 429-foot line drive homer down the left-field line to break open the game.
“(Hendricks) may have left a couple of pitches over the middle of home plate,” Perez said. “He knows how to pitch. He’s not going to miss many pitches in the middle of home plate.”
TRANSACTIONS:
Cubs: C Tomas Nido was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 25, with a right knee sprain. … C Christian Bethancourt was selected from Triple-A Iowa… P Ben Brown was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
TRAINING ROOM:
Royals: OF MJ Melendez began a rehab assignment in Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Thursday night. He went 0 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and a run. Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said it’s possible that Melendez could join the team this weekend. He’s been on the injured list since July 16, retroactive to July 15, with a sprained left ankle.
UP NEXT:
The Cubs will send LHP Shota Imanaga (8-2, 2.86 ERA) against Royals’ RHP Seth Lugo (12-4, 2.38 ERA) in the second game of the three-game series Saturday.
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