LDN - Sports

Red-hot Morales powers Royals past Cards

[July 01, 2016] ST. LOUIS -- It doesn't matter if they're a right-hander or a left-hander. It means not one iota if they throw a fastball, curve, changeup or cutter.

Kendrys Morales is barreling almost everything that comes his way.

The Kansas City Royals' right fielder doubled twice and homered Thursday night, leading his team to a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals and becoming the fourth player in the majors this year with six straight multiple-hit games.

Morales went 12-for-16 as Kansas City (42-36) took three of four from St. Louis (40-38) and is 16-of-24 in the last six games. Only Boston teammates Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Xander Bogaerts, along with Detroit's J.D. Martinez, can boast of at least two hits in six straight games.

This outburst capped a scalding-hot month for Morales, who upped his average from .191 on June 5 to .262 by going 32-of-69 in the last 19 games.

"I felt like earlier, I was making good contact but a combination of bad luck played into it as well," he said through an interpreter. "Now they're falling for me."

And in the case of his 456-foot rocket into the third deck in left field off reliever Tyler Lyons in the eighth inning, they're falling over the wall. Well over the wall in that event, as Morales tied Texas' Mitch Moreland, Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt and Cincinnati's Jay Bruce for the longest homer by a visiting player in the 11-year history of Busch Stadium III.

It was the 11th homer for Morales, and it had value beyond ending perhaps the hottest stretch of his career. It gave the Royals a 4-2 lead, providing cushion for Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis as they negotiated the last six outs.

Herrera worked a clean eighth and Davis worked around a leadoff single by Jhonny Peralta in the ninth for his 19th save in 21 chances.

"That was definitely smoked," Kansas City pitcher Ned Yost said of Morales' homer. "It got us away from that one-run lead. Any time you can get tack-on runs late in the game, that's big."

Morales' second double, a liner into the right field corner off Cardinals starter Mike Leake (5-6), made it 3-1 in what turned out to be a wild sixth.

St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, perhaps frustrated over his team's home losing streak that reached seven games, waved goodbye two batters later. When replay umpires in New York City overruled an apparent double play ball by Salvador Perez to extend the sixth, Matheny argued and was tossed by plate umpire and crew chief Mike Everitt.

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It was Matheny's first ejection of the year and the 12th in his 4 1/2 seasons as the manager.

"That's an easy rule, if there is one," he said. "I knew it would be barked at if it was on the other side. My guys have already gotten off the field, and that's the purpose of having some sort of guidelines. Is there a hard-and-fast rule? I'd say no, and I know that. The umpire was quick to point out that if I had asked for the same thing, he'd have given me the courtesy, but I wasn't interested in courtesies at that point."

Matheny didn't miss much for the game's remainder, aside from Peralta's homer off reliever Dillon Gee (3-2) in the bottom of the sixth. In falling to 15-23 at home, the Cardinals had as many errors as hits -- three -- and failed to score off any of the seven walks doled out by Royals pitching.

Kansas City starter Chris Young gave up only one hit, Brandon Moss' 477-foot homer to lead off the fourth, and one run in four innings. But Young didn't qualify for the win after issuing six walks and fanning five in his 91-pitch outing.

Leake pitched a solid game in his seven innings, allowing three runs, two earned, off five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. But it wasn't enough to prevent St. Louis from enduring its longest home losing streak since Aug. 2-15, 1983.

For that, it can blame Morales, who upped his lifetime average against the Cardinals to .472 in 53 at-bats with five homers and 13 RBIs.

"He's been a game-changer -- this year and last," Matheny said of Morales.

NOTES: St. Louis RF Stephen Piscotty (ankle) didn't start Thursday night after being injured while diving for Alcides Escobar's tie-breaking double in the 12th inning Wednesday evening. ... Kansas City RHP Kris Medlen (right rotator cuff inflammation) started for Triple-A Omaha Thursday night against Memphis, going 5 2/3 innings and getting tagged with a 5-2 loss. He gave up six hits and five runs, walking two and whiffing five. ... Cardinals SS Aledmys Diaz (eye) didn't start for the third straight game after hitting himself with a foul ball in the ninth inning Monday night.

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