SEATTLE (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a pivotal two-run double in the fifth inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Seattle Mariners 6-3 on Tuesday night for just their second win in 10 games.
Perez lofted a fly ball off Emerson Hancock (3-5) that center fielder Julio Rodríguez lost in the twilight sky and dropped for a two-run double. Rodríguez climbed the center-field wall, trying to rob a home run, but he misjudged the ball and it bounced to the wall as the Royals took a 5-1 lead.
Ben Williamson hit an RBI double in the bottom half and scored on J.P. Crawford's single off Michael Lorenzen.
Five relievers combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings of one-hit relief. Lucas Erceg (3-2) entered with two on in the seventh and got a double-play grounder and a groundout, and Carlos Estévez pitched a perfect ninth for his 23rd save in 26 chances.
Kansas City built a 3-0 lead on Maikel Garcia's run-scoring single in the first and a two-run second that included an RBI double by Nick Loftin, who scored when Kyle Isbel grounded into a forceout.
Randy Arozarena homered in the bottom half, his 11th this season and third in four at-bats.
Key moment
After Angel Zerpa walked Dylan Moore starting the seventh, Cole Young grounded into a double play and Crawford grounded out.
Key stat
Perez moved past Alex Gordon for sixth place on the Royals hits list with 1,646.
Up next
Seattle RHP Logan Gilbert (2-2, 3.55) and Kansas City Noah Cameron (2-4, 2.79) started Wednesday in the third game of the four-game set.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Andrew Destin, The Associated Press
