KANSAS CITY — The Kansas City Royals ended the Seattle Mariners’ impressive 10-game winning streak on Wednesday night, securing a 7-5 victory thanks to a late-game surge. Adam Frazier’s go-ahead, two-run home run in the eighth inning proved to be the decisive blow, putting the Royals ahead for good.
The Mariners, who fell a half-game behind the Houston Astros in the AL West, saw a standout performance from Eugenio Suárez, who broke out of an 0-for-32 slump with four hits, two RBIs, and two runs. Suárez’s 416-foot, two-run homer in the second inning cut the Royals’ early lead to 3-2.
The Royals’ offense was sparked early by Salvador Perez, who launched a 435-foot, three-run home run in the first inning. While the Mariners tied the game in the seventh, Frazier’s blast in the eighth put the Royals back on top.
Lucas Erceg (8-4) picked up the win for Kansas City despite surrendering a lead-changing home run to J.P. Crawford in the eighth. Carlos Estévez earned his MLB-best 40th save, though he allowed a run in the ninth. On the other side, Seattle’s Matt Brash (1-3) took the loss, giving up four runs and four hits in two-thirds of an inning.
The Royals were efficient with runners in scoring position, going 5-for-13, while the Mariners struggled, going 0-for-4.
In his first start for Kansas City since June 5, Cole Ragans was solid, allowing two runs on one hit through 3 2/3 innings. The right-hander, who had been on the injured list with a strained left rotator cuff, struck out four and walked two.
The teams will conclude their three-game series on Thursday. Seattle’s Luis Castillo (9-8, 3.76 ERA) is scheduled to start against Kansas City’s Stephen Kolek (5-5, 3.71 ERA). Pregame coverage on Superstar Country 102.5 FM & 1530 AM KQNK begins at 12:30 p.m. with first pitch from Kauffman Stadium set for 1:10 p.m.
