Brad Keller threw 6 1/3 shutout innings and Bobby Witt Jr. collected his first major league home run as the host Kansas City Royals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 Tuesday night.
The Royals collected a season-high 15 hits, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Witt had two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. M.J. Melendez collected his first major league hit in his debut and Edward Olivares had a career-high four hits for KC.
Keller (1-2) allowed no runs on four hits through 6 1/3 innings. He did not allow more than one baserunner in any inning until the seventh. It was his fourth quality start in five outings this year, after only having nine in 26 starts in 2021.
Dakota Hudson (2-2) allowed three runs on nine hits in six-plus innings, getting out of multiple jams with minimal damage.
Witt took an 0-1 changeup from Hudson and blasted it into the seats in left center. In so doing, he also extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
The Royals missed a great chance to add to the lead in the third. They got three straight singles to start the inning, loading the bases with no outs. But Andrew Benintendi popped out to short left field and Hudson induced Salvador Perez to hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
The Royals got another run in the fourth but could have had more. Ryan O’Hearn led off with a single, followed by a single from Whit Merrifield that sent O’Hearn to third. Witt grounded into a double play, scoring O’Hearn.
The Royals threatened again in the sixth with a pair of two-out singles, but Michael A. Taylor took a called third strike to end the inning.
The Royals finally chased Hudson and blew open the game in the seventh.
Hudson walked Nicky Lopez to open the inning and he was finished. Olivares greeted T.J. McFarland with an RBI triple. Olivares scored on Benintendi’s single. Merrifield, Witt and Taylor drove home the last three runs.
Tyler O’Neill drove in the Cardinals’ run in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
