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 Moustakas and Eric Hosmer homered to lift the Kansas City Royals to
a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
The Royals scored four runs in the seventh, highlighted by third
baseman Moustakas' three-run homer with two out. Manager Ned Yost
gave Moustakas the green light with the count 3-0.
"His eyes lit up," Yost said.
Pirates' right-hander Charlie Morton served up a fastball on the
inner half of the plate and Moustakas did not miss it, propelling it
into the Royals bullpen.
"It got to 3-and-0 and I was trying to look for a good pitch and put
a good swing on it," Moustakas said. "I ended up getting a good
pitch over the plate and put a good swing on it and it ended up
getting out of the yard."
Left fielder Jarrod Dyson's safety squeeze bunt single brought home
second baseman Omar Infante for the first run of the inning.
Right-hander Edinson Volquez (9-5) claimed the victory, holding the
Pirates to a run over 7 2/3 innings. He struck out eight -- one shy
of his season high -- and yielded eight hits. It was his second
longest outing of the year after throwing eight innings on April 9
in his Royals' debut.
Morton (6-4) suffered the loss, surrendering five runs on seven
hits, two hit batters and a walk in 6 2/3 innings.
"Charlie pitched wonderfully through six innings," Pirates manager
Clint Hurdle said. "We had some early chances on offense. Three
innings in a row we had two runners on, a couple of times with first
and second and no outs. We came away with one run. We just have to
keep working to play a better overall game."
Volquez, who was 13-7 with a 3.04 ERA in 2014 for Pittsburgh, gave
up five hits and a walk from the second through fourth innings, but
only one run. The Pirates went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring
position those innings.
"He managed his pitch count extremely well," Yost said. "He was
banging strikes. I thought he was great. He limited the damage in
the second and third innings."
In the third, left fielder Jaff Decker walked, advanced to third on
right fielder Gregory Polanco's double to right and scored on second
baseman Neil Walker's sacrifice fly.
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"I've faced him several times in the past," Walker said of Volquez.
"You know what you're going to get. He's got a good fastball in the
tank. He likes to go to his changeup and breaking ball with runners
in scoring position. He's got good stuff. Tonight, when he's down in
the zone and making pitches, that's when he's at his best."
Hosmer tied it with a monstrous home run in the bottom of the
fourth, an estimated 432 feet, on a 92 mph Morton fastball on a 2-1
count. It was Hosmer's first home run since June 19.
NOTES: Royals LHP Jason Vargas was diagnosed with a torn ulnar
collateral ligament that will require season-ending reconstructive
elbow surgery. He was placed on the disabled list Wednesday, one day
after he was activated for an abbreviated start. ... Kansas City RHP
Yordano Ventura, who was demoted Tuesday to Triple-A Omaha, was
recalled and will start Sunday against the Houston Astros. ... The
Pirates brought up INF Pedro Florimon from Triple-A Indianapolis,
where he hit .254 in 61 games. He started at shortstop Wednesday.
Pittsburgh optioned RHP Wilfredo Boscan to Indianapolis and
designated Class A Bradenton LHP Jayson Aquino for assignment. ...
The Royals will start RHP Chris Young on Thursday at St. Louis in
the makeup of a June 14 rainout. The Cardinals will start RHP John
Lackey. ... LHP Francisco Liriano will pitch the series opener
Thursday at Pittsburgh against the NL East-leading Washington
Nationals, who will counter with RHP Doug Fister. ... CF Lorenzo
Cain is hitting .392
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