Royals 8, Cubs 4
CHICAGO -- Lorenzo Cain went 3-for-4, including an eighth-inning RBI double for the go-ahead run, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago Cubs 8-4 on Friday to snap a four-game losing streak.
The double by the Royals center fielder against Chicago reliever Pedro Strop scored third baseman Mike Moustakas for a 5-4 lead. Kansas City added two more runs in a three-run eighth and a run in the ninth.
Neither Kansas City right-hander Edinson Volquez nor Chicago right-hander Jake Arrieta factored into the decision in their respective starts in the interleague game.
Royals right-hander Kelvin Herrera (1-1) allowed one run and two hits in the sixth inning but still collected the victory. Strop (1-3) gave up three runs, one hit and two walks in one-third of an inning and suffered the loss.
The Royals, making their first visit to Wrigley Field since 2001, used three solo home runs to help build an early lead before the Cubs replied with their own long-ball attack to forge a 4-4 tie.
Shortstop Alcides Escobar gave the Royals an instant 1-0 lead, taking Arrieta's first pitch to the left field bleachers for his second home run of the season. It was his second leadoff home run of the year and second of his career.
Kansas City left fielder Alex Gordon made it 2-0 with a solo shot with one out in the second. He sent Arrieta's first offering to left center for his sixth homer of the season.
The Cubs got one run back in the third inning on third baseman Kris Bryant's RBI double that scored second baseman Addison Russell.
But catcher Salvador Perez gave the Royals a 3-1 lead with his bases-empty homer in the fourth. Kansas City first baseman Eric Hosmer made it 4-1 in the fifth when he doubled off the wall with two outs.
Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler's fourth homer of the year drove in shortstop Starlin Castro and trimmed the Royals' margin to one in the sixth.
The homer, on a 3-0 pitch with two outs, marked the end for Volquez, who pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and three runs while striking out nine and walking one.
In the bottom of the seventh, Herrera gave up a one-out solo blast to Russell, whose fourth home run of the season landed in the left field bleachers and made it 4-4.
Arrieta did not return for the eighth. He allowed four runs and eight hits, struck out five and walked nine in seven innings.
After Kansas City grabbed the lead in the top of the eighth, Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler botched a fly ball by second baseman Omar Infante that brought home Cain and Hosmer.
Escobar's ninth-inning single scored pinch-hitter Jarrod Dyson to make it 8-4.
NOTES: The Royals haven't visited Wrigley Field since taking two of three in a mid-July 2001 series. The teams last met in Kansas City in 2011. ... Friday's game was also the first time tht Royals hitting coach Dale Sveum returned the Wrigley since he was fired as Cubs manager after the 2013 season. Sveum was 127-197 in two seasons. ... With the series in a National League park and no designated hitter, that meant Royals DH Kendrys Morales' main work might be as a pinch hitter. He has batted .239 in that role. ... The Royals send RHP Yordano Ventura (3-4, 4.64 ERA) against Cubs RHP Jason Hammel (3-2, 2.98 ERA) in Saturday's middle game. ... The series is the Cubs' first against American League teams this season. They'll play 20 games in eight series against AL teams. ... Cubs SS Starlin Castro went 1-for-4 on Friday and needs two hits to reach 900 for his career. ... Cubs CF Dexter Fowler was 0-for-4 and remained one short of 1,200 total bases. ... Cubs rookie 3B Kris Bryant is seventh in the National League with 25 walks in 38 games. All of the players ahead of him have played in at least 43 game through Thursday.