Matthew Boyd threw seven stellar innings and Miguel Amaya launched a three-run home run on Sunday afternoon as the visiting Chicago Cubs breezed past the Kansas City Royals for a 10-2 victory.
Boyd (8-1) allowed two runs on five hits while striking out three and walking three in the rubber game for the Cubs, who won their sixth game in seven tries. Alex Bregman and Ian Happ both had three hits and drove in two runs apiece for Chicago, which matched a season-high with 18 hits.
Royals starter Randy Dobnak (2-1) suffered his first loss since Sept. 3, 2021, surrendering four runs on 10 hits across five frames, striking out four and walking one. Starling Marte hit a two-run home run for the Royals, who became the third American League to reach 70 losses.
Chicago scored in the opening inning as Michael Busch (three hits) laced a one-out double before Bregman and Happ’s consecutive infield singles loaded the bases. Michael Conforto’s sacrifice fly then gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead.
Busch and Happ singled to put runners on the corners in the third with two outs, leading to RBI singles from Conforto and Nico Hoerner to push the margin to 3-0.
The Cubs tacked on in the fourth. Amaya began the inning with a base hit before Busch singled for his third hit in as many plate appearances. Bregman’s RBI single to left field gave the visitors a 4-0 advantage.
Salvador Perez’s two-out single in the fourth accounted for Kansas City’s first hit. Marte followed with a 413-foot blast to left — his second home run of the year — to cut the Royals’ deficit in half.
Easton McGee relieved Dobnak to begin the sixth, allowing Bregman’s RBI single and Happ’s two-run homer that gave the Cubs a 7-2 lead. Happ’s 401-foot shot secured the sixth 20-homer season of his career.
Chicago continued to batter McGee in the seventh, as Hoerner’s leadoff double and Dansby Swanson’s walk was followed by Amaya’s three-run homer to make it 10-2.
Ryan Zeferjahn and Javier Assad each tossed a scoreless inning in relief to seal the win.
–Field Level Media
