SEATTLE– George Kirby allowed three hits in seven shutout innings, Luke Raley hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Monday night.
A night that began with a lucky fan catching foul balls on consecutive pitches ended with another dominant pitching performance that helped the Mariners improve to 19-11 over their last 30 games.
Kirby (4-3) was bothered by a sore knee but felt great. He pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning after striking out a pair of batters. He gave up Bobby Witt Jr.’s first single, then didn’t allow another hit until Dairon Blanco reached on an infield single in the fifth.
Kirby struck out six and walked none. It was the third time this season he pitched at least six innings and didn’t allow a run.
Raley’s second home run of the season traveled about 432 feet and came after Cal Raleigh doubled on the first pitch of the second inning from Kansas City starter Brady Singer. Raley also appeared to break — or unscrew — the commemorative pitchfork used by the Mariners to celebrate home runs.
Raleigh and Raley added an RBI single an inning later. Raleigh’s shot was a 410-foot shot that hit Blanco’s glove as he jumped the fence. Julio Rodríguez scored, but Jorge Polanco had to wait near first base and was only able to advance 90 feet, leaving Raleigh with possibly the longest single of his career.
Ty France hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, his third of the season.
Kansas City’s Michael Massey had a two-out, two-run double in the eighth, but closer Andrés Muñoz recorded the final four outs for his sixth save.
Singer (3-2) gave up a season-high nine hits and allowed more than two earned runs for the second time this season — both losses. Singer needed 108 pitches to get through five innings and struck out six.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: RHP Carlos Hernandez (shoulder) pitched 1 1/3 innings Sunday as part of his rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha, the first time he pitched more than one inning.
Mariners: Polanco left the game before the start of the sixth inning due to tightness in his right hamstring. … SS JP Crawford (oblique) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday.
NEXT
Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (2-4, 5.15) seeks his second straight win after giving up two earned runs in six innings in his last start. Mariners: RHP Logan Gilbert (3-1, 2.94) will look to bounce back after giving up eight runs on nine hits in a loss to Minnesota.
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APMLB:
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