Royals 5, Cardinals 4
An eighth-inning error by first baseman Albert Pujols allowed Mike Moustakas to score the go-ahead run as the visiting Kansas City Royals recorded a 5-4 victory on Friday to hand the slumping St. Louis Cardinals their seventh straight loss.
Moustakas scored from second base with two outs in the eighth when Pujols was unable to field a ground ball hit by Alcides Escobar. Moustakas beat the throw home by right fielder Lance Berkman as St. Louis matched its longest losing streak since 2008.
Moustakas started the eighth by drawing the lone walk issued by Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter (1-7). He was sacrificed to second before scoring the decisive run that ended Kansas City’s two-game losing streak.
Blake Wood (3-0) pitched a perfect seventh, Aaron Crow worked the eighth and Joakim Soria pitched the ninth for his 11th save, retiring Pujols on a grounder with the tying run on first to end the contest.
Carpenter gave up five runs – four earned – and 10 hits in eight innings. He struck out seven.
Kansas City starter Felipe Paulino went six innings for the Royals and gave up four runs and five hits.