DENVER (AP) — Tomoyuki Sugano allowed a run over 6 2/3 innings to win for the seventh time in his last eight starts and the Colorado Rockies beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Friday night after a hailstorm delayed the start an hour.
Sugano (11-4) gave up five hits and matched his longest outing this season to help the Rockies end a four-game skid. He left after 83 pitches with Salvador Perez on first base, and Johnny Rave greeted Antonio Senzatela with a single to put runners on the corners. Josh Rojas flied out to left field to keep it 3-1.
Senzatela and Brennan Bernardino each got two outs and Jordan Romano pitched the ninth for his fifth save in five opportunities with Colorado.
Sugano has gone 7-0 since June 1 — tied with the Giants’ Robbie Ray for best in the majors over that span. He is the first 11-game winner for Colorado since Germán Márquez went 12-11 in 2021.
Mickey Moniak had a one-out double off Royals starter Michael Wacha (5-8) in the first, and TJ Rumfield added a two-out single for a 1-0 lead.
Kyle Karros singled with one out in the fourth, advanced on a groundout and scored on a throwing error by second baseman Troy Johnston. Brenton Doyle doubled in his second at-bat following a 2 1/2-month stay on the injured list to make it 3-0.
Sugano gave up Carter Jensen’s 15th homer with two outs in the sixth to cut it to 3-1. It was the 21st surrendered in 19 starts by the right-hander — 18 of them solo shots.
Wacha allowed three runs — one earned — on five hits in six innings. He struck out seven, including a career-best five in a row.
Sugano went 10-10 as a rookie last season for the Orioles and collected his first major league win on April 5, beating Wacha and the Royals 8-1 in Kansas City.
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Royals RHP Luinder Avila (5-3, 4.95 ERA) was set to start Saturday opposite Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (3-5, 5.73).
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