Royals 4, Mariners 1
SEATTLE -- The Kansas City Royals ended a five-game losing streak, and a 27-inning scoreless drought, with a 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday afternoon.
Kansas City's Eric Hosmer hit his fourth home run of the season with a solo shot to lead off the eighth, while Omar Infante and Lorenzo Cain also drove in runs for the Royals, who jumped out to a 3-0 lead and had to hold off Seattle. Kansas City closer Wade Davis, the fifth Royals pitcher used in the win, earned his eighth save of the season after a scoreless ninth.
Kansas City (13-11) won for the first time in a week, while the Mariners suffered their first loss in six games. The Royals' five-game losing streak was their longest since Aug. 2013.
Kansas City starter Ian Kennedy (3-2) earned the win after allowing one run off four hits over five innings.
The Royals ended a 27-inning scoreless streak that extended back to Wednesday when Infante blooped a two-out, RBI single over second baseman Luis Sardinas. Baserunner Alex Gordon came in to score from third base to give Kansas City a 1-0 lead while accounting for the first Royals run since the first inning of Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
Cain added an RBI single up the middle in the third inning, giving the Royals a 2-0 lead.
Two innings later, Cain came around from second base to score on a throwing error by Seattle shortstop Ketel Marte as Kansas City opened up a 3-0 lead in the fifth.
Seattle starter Taijuan Walker, who hadn't allowed more than two runs in a game in any of his first four starts, struggled through five innings to take the loss. Walker (2-1) allowed three runs -- two earned -- off seven hits before the bullpen took over to open the sixth.
Seattle (13-11) fell behind 3-0 and looked to be on the verge of a sixth-inning rally before Kansas City right fielder Jarrod Dyson took the wind out of the Mariners' sails with an inning-ending throw to home plate. Seattle loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of singles and a walk, then reliever Danny Duffy came in and struck out back-to-back Mariners hitters. Seattle catcher Chris Iannetta hit a two-out single to cut the Royals' lead to 3-1, but Mariners baserunner Robinson Cano was thrown out at home plate by Dyson trying to score from second.
Seattle threatened again in the seventh, with two outs and Cano coming to the plate with runners on first and second, but the Mariners' star flew out to center field to end that threat.
Hosmer tacked on to the Kansas City lead with his eighth-inning solo shot, which put the Royals ahead 4-1.
Kansas City leadoff hitter Alcides Escobar went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Cain had a pair of hits and an RBI for the Royals, while Seattle got two apiece from Cano and left fielder Seth Smith.
NOTES: Kansas City went into Sunday's game with a scoreless streak of 26 innings. The last time the Royals had scored a run came when 1B Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer in the first inning of Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Angels. ... Kansas City issued 15 walks through the first two games of the series. ... The Mariners, at 13-10, finished above .500 in April for the first time since 2009. ... Royals starter RHP Ian Kennedy went into Sunday's game looking to tie his 2015 total for road wins. Kennedy was 2-10 in away games last season and entered Sunday with a 1-1 record on the road. ... Seattle wrapped up its six-game homestand Sunday. The Mariners will open a seven-game road trip with a Monday game at Oakland. The Royals host the Washington Nationals on Monday.