M’s top Royals for 6th consecutive win
Published 1:30 am Saturday, June 30, 2018
Associated Press
SEATTLE — Ryon Healy had four hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.
Felix Hernandez (8-6) gave up four consecutive hits, including a three-run homer Mike Moustakas to start the game, but settled down to pitch four scoreless innings afterward to earn the victory and help the Mariners to a season-best sixth consecutive win.
Edwin Diaz pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his 31st save of the season. The Mariners (53-31) are 22 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2003 season.
Jason Hammel (2-10) suffered his fifth consecutive loss, allowing all six runs on 13 hits over six innings.
Moustakas gave the Royals a 3-0 in the first inning when he homered to right after Whit Merrifield and Rosell Herrera singled off Hernandez.
Mitch Haniger made it 3-1 in the bottom of the inning when he doubled to the gap in left-center to score Jean Segura, who reached base on a single.
The Mariners took the lead with three runs in the second. Healy homered to left-center after Denard Span singled, trying the game at 3-3.
A bad decision by Alex Gordon in left field, diving for Ben Gamel’s liner in front of him, let the ball roll to the wall for a triple with no one out. Gamel scored to make it 4-3 on a sacrifice fly to center by Mike Zunino.
The Mariners added two more runs off five hits in the third inning to take a 6-3 lead. Span had an RBI double to right center after back-to-back singles by Haniger and Nelson Cruz. Healy blooped a single to center that scored Cruz from third.
The Royals made it 6-4 in the seventh inning when Alberto Mondesi, who started the inning with a single, scored on a sacrifice fly by Herrera.
