Vinnie Pasquantino’s two-run single broke a tie in the seventh inning as the Kansas City Royals defeated the host Seattle Mariners 3-2 Thursday night to earn a split of a four-game series.
Seth Lugo (6-5) pitched 6 1/3 strong innings for the Royals, who won for just the third time in 12 games. The right-hander allowed one run on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Carlos Estevez got the final four outs for his 24th save of the season despite a harrowing ninth.
Dominic Canzone led off with a homer to straightaway center to pull Seattle within a run.
Pinch hitter Miles Mastrobuoni blooped a hit to right, and J.P. Crawford lined a one-out single to left, with a wild pitch advancing both runners. Estevez caught Julio Rodriguez looking at a called third strike and got Cal Raleigh, the American League Player of the Month for June, to ground out feebly to second to end the game.
Seattle’s Jorge Polanco went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a homer leading off the fourth inning that opened the scoring.
The Royals trailed 1-0 heading into the seventh before scoring three times.
Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India drew one-out walks off reliever Casey Legumina (4-4), who was replaced by Carlos Vargas. Bobby Witt Jr. greeted Vargas with a line-drive single to left-center, knocking in Isbel with the tying run as India advanced to third. Witt stole second, and Pasquantino grounded a single to right against a drawn-in infield to plate two more runs.
Mariners starter Logan Evans, recalled from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day, pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings. The right-hander allowed three hits, walked one and fanned three.
Evans retired the side in order in each of the first three innings before walking India leading off the fourth. After striking out Witt, Evans grazed Pasquantino on the back foot with a pitch and Maikel Garcia grounded a single to left to load the bases. Evans got Salvador Perez to pop out and John Rave to ground out, ending the inning.
Evans was replaced after allowing a two-out double to Perez in the sixth, with Legumina issuing a walk before Nick Loftin flied out to right to complete the inning.
–Field Level Media
