PITTSBURGH (AP) — Isiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits, including a go-ahead single in the fifth inning, as the Pittsburgh Pirates avoided a three-game sweep with a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
Billy Cook lined a single to left to start the fifth and scored from first on a hit and run when Kiner-Falefa shot one to center past a diving Bobby Witt Jr. at short to put the Pirates ahead 3-2. Kiner-Falefa also singled in the first and sixth innings.
Kansas City‘s Brady Singer (9-11), who gave up four runs on six hits and four walks with six strikeouts in five innings, later walked Rowdy Tellez with the bases loaded to bring the Pittsburgh lead to 4-2.
Carmen Mlodzinski (3-5) pitched a perfect fifth inning in relief of Pirates starter Jared Jones, who allowed two runs and six hits in the first four. Aroldis Chapman struck out one in a perfect ninth for his ninth save.
The Royals, four games back of first-place Cleveland in the AL Central, had the bases loaded with two outs in the sixth. Colin Holderman walked Witt Jr. to bring in a run but Dennis Santana entered to get Salvador Perez to fly out and limit the damage.
Bryan Reynolds gave the Pirates an initial lead on a double into the left-field corner after Kiner-Falefa led off the first with a base hit.
Yuli Gurriel tied it 1-1 on a sacrifice fly in the second after Kansas City started the inning with a Paul DeJong single between two walks.
Tommy Pham opened the third with a triple off the top of the Clemente Wall in right. Witt Jr. flew out to Cook, whose throw home from right field beat Pham to preserve the tie.
Gurriel and Maikel Garcia hit consecutive one-out doubles to put the Royals ahead 2-1 the next inning.
Oneil Cruz led off the Pirates’ half of the fourth with a single and scored the tying run when Nick Gonzales grounded to third with the bases loaded.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Seth Lugo (16-8, 2.94 ERA) will start Monday to open a three-game home series against the Tigers. Detroit has not announced a starter.
Pirates: Rookie RHP Paul Skenes (10-2, 2.10) will take the mound Monday to start a four-game series in St. Louis, opposite Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (6-8, 4.13).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Wes Crosby, The Associated Press