Salvador Perez hit a pair of two-run homers to help power the visiting Kansas City Royals to a 12-4 win against the Chicago Cubs on Monday.
Starting pitcher Noah Cameron (4-4) allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out seven in six innings for the Royals.
Cubs reliever Ben Brown (4-7), who replaced Ryan Brasier after the first inning in a bullpen game, was tagged with the loss after giving up six runs on seven hits in four innings.
Down by one, Kansas City grabbed the lead in the fifth and never looked back.
John Rave reached on a fielder’s choice, Kyle Isbel singled and Jonathan India doubled to drive in Rave and tie it 4-4. Isbel came around to score on Bobby Witt Jr.’s infield single for a 5-4 lead.
Witt Jr. then stole second with Vinnie Pasquantino at the plate. Catcher Carson Kelly’s throw to second went into the outfield, bringing in India to make it 6-4 and allowing Witt Jr. to advance to third. He scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 7-4.
Rave increased it to 8-4 with a solo home run to right-center in the seventh.
In the eighth, Perez’s second two-run homer of the night made it 10-4. Rave’s single drove in Jac Caglianone, then and Rave scored on a forceout to push the lead to 12-4.
The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Caglianone knocked a solo shot into the basket in left-center.
The Cubs responded in the bottom half as Kelly homered to tie it 1-1. Dansby Swanson singled and Justin Turner doubled before Matt Shaw belted a three-run homer off the left-field pole to put the hosts up 4-1.
With Maikel Garcia on base in the fourth, Perez homered for the third straight game — hitting a first-pitch fastball to left-center to narrow the deficit to 4-3.
Chicago center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong missed the game with a bruised right knee sustained on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox. He is listed as day-to-day.
–Field Level Media
