Mariners can’t contain Royals, fall 8-4 for second straight loss

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Vinnie Pasquantino hit a tiebreaking two-run double during Kansas City’s three-run fifth inning, and the Royals beat the Seattle Mariners 8-4 on Saturday.

Kansas City Royals 8, Seattle Mariners 4: Box Score

Kyle Isbel had three RBIs for Kansas City, and Adam Frazier had two hits and scored two runs. The Royals earned their third consecutive win.

Kansas City trailed 3-2 before Frazier doubled and scored on Nick Loftin’s single in the fifth. With two outs and runners on the corners, Pasquantino slapped a grounder inside the first base bag.

“Guys seem to be putting together some really nice at-bats right now,” Pasquantino said. “Two-out, runners-in-scoring-position hits, that’s going to win you some games.”

J.P. Crawford and Mitch Garver homered for Seattle. Crawford finished with two hits and two RBIs.

Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (5-7) permitted a season-high five runs in five innings. He allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one.

“Early in the game, nothing was easy,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “They were making him work through at-bats. They got a couple of huge two-out, two-run doubles that spread the gap. We weren’t able to overcome it.”

Said Castillo: “Two pitches I kind of left up there and those were the two pitches that cost us the game.”

Crawford put Seattle in front when he drilled Alec Marsh’s first pitch of the game for his fifth homer of the season. It was Crawford’s 11th career leadoff homer.

Marsh retired his next 13 batters — eight on strikeouts — before Garver’s seventh homer off the left-field foul pole tied it at 2 with one out in the fifth inning.

“He was locating all his stuff,” Garver said. “We put ourselves in poor counts. He was able to strike out eight real quick. Not a lot going for us in the first five.”

Three straight two-out singles, capped by Crawford’s grounder through the middle, produced another run for the Mariners.

Marsh (5-3) struck out a season-high eight in five-plus innings. He was charged with four runs and seven hits.

“His stuff was really good,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That was the best I’ve seen his curveball and sweeper in a long time. Got a lot of swing and miss on it.”

Maikel Garcia hit a leadoff single in the first for Kansas City. He stole second and scored on Salvador Perez’s single.

“Good at-bats, right from the get-go, making Castillo work,” Quatraro said. “We put pressure on him, no easy outs, right from Maikel’s at-bat to start the game. To get him out of there after five was huge.”

Frazier made it 2-1 with a solo drive in the second for his second homer.

Isbel extended Kansas City’s lead to 7-4 with a two-run double with two out in the sixth against Kirby Snead. Isbel added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners IF Ty France was scratched from the lineup due to soreness in his right heel.

UP NEXT

Mariners RHP George Kirby (5-5, 4.05 ERA) opposes Royals LHP Cole Ragans (4-4, 3.21).

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