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 The Royals rewarded several thousand noisy road warriors with an 8-4
victory while snapping a four-game losing streak in the opener of a
three-game inter league series.
"When we went out for batting practice it was just packed with
Royals fans," said Kansas City manager Ned Yost after his team
scored four runs in the final two innings to pull away on a steamy
afternoon.
"It was really obvious when Eskie (shortstop Alcides Escobar) hit a
home run," he added. "The cheering that was going on caught me by
surprise. I looked around and it was all Royals fans. It was pretty
cool."
Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain went 3-for-4, including an
eighth-inning RBI double for the go-ahead run.
That two-base hit off 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 Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez nor Cubs right-hander
Jake Arrieta factored into the decision in their respective starts
in the interleague game.
Volquez still had a solid outing with a season-high nine strikeouts
before leaving in the sixth with a 4-3 lead following Jorge Soler's
two-en home run with two out.
"It was good, I really competed and my breaking ball was good
tonight," he said. "I was hoping to get out of there with two outs,
but I got behind on the count on him (Soler) and he hit it out."
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.
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.
"I knew going in that he likes to come out hacking early," said
Arrieta. "I had a heater there to start the game and obviously
wanted to get ahead but it leaked over the heart of the plate too
much and he put a good swing on it."
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.
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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
while also 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.
"It was such a great game for 7 2/3 innings and I thought we were
going to pull it out," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. "And that you
get to that moment (late) and we just didn't executive. They win. It
comes down to that."
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 that 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 LHP
Tsuyoshi Wada (0-0, 2.70) in Saturday's middle game. ... 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.
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