Pinch hitter Lane Thomas’ run-scoring single with one out in the eighth inning broke a tie as the Kansas City Royals defeated the host Seattle Mariners 7-6 on Friday, overcoming a pair of two-run homers by Julio Rodriguez.
Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone went deep for the Royals, who won for just the fourth time in 16 road games this season. By taking the opener of a three-game series, Kansas City stopped a mini two-game skid.
Connor Joe and Randy Arozarena also homered for Seattle, which had won six of its previous seven games.
Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV (1-0) got the victory despite allowing two runs in his lone inning. Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save of the season.
With the score tied at 6-all, Kansas City’s Salvador Perez led off the eighth with a double to left field, his second of the game. Perez advanced to third on Carter Jensen’s groundout and scored as Thomas hit a looping liner to right-center off Mariners reliever Jose A. Ferrer (0-1).
The Royals’ Maikel Garcia, Bobby Witt Jr. and Pasquantino began the game with singles, with Pasquantino driving in the opening run. Perez followed with a two-run double to right to make it 3-0. With two outs, Isaac Collins doubled off the glove of third baseman Leo Rivas, scoring Perez.
The Mariners’ halved their deficit in the bottom half of the frame. J.P. Crawford drew a leadoff walk, and an out later, Rodriguez went deep into the second deck in left field.
Seattle pulled within 4-3 in the fifth when Joe hit a leadoff homer to left.
Pasquantino led off the sixth with a liner off the facade of the second deck in right field. Two outs later, Caglianone hit a high drive that just cleared the fence in the right field corner to give the Royals a 6-3 advantage.
Arozarena went deep to right with one out in the bottom of the inning.
In the seventh, Crawford singled and Rodriguez homered to straightaway center with two outs to tie it at 6-all.
Both starting pitchers struggled to keep the ball in the yard.
Royals left-hander Cole Ragans went 5 1/3 innings and gave up four runs on four hits, including three homers. He walked three and struck out eight.
Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo struggled early, allowing four runs in the first inning, then settled down to retire 13 consecutive batters before giving up the two solo shots in the sixth. Woo went six innings and allowed six runs on seven hits, with no walks and two strikeouts.
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