Sweep of Royals puts Bucs at 79-77
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PITTSBURGH -- Rafael Flores Jr. hit the go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning to help the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday and complete a series sweep.
The Pirates are now 79-77 with six games remaining in the season.
After Ryan O'Hearn led off with a single to center, Flores sent a slider from Nate Pearson (2-3) into the left-field bleachers for his 10th homer this season.
Pittsburgh rallied with a two-run homer in the eighth for a second straight day. Brandon Lowe had his 33rd of the season in a 6-5 win Saturday.
Carmen Mlodzinki (8-7) got the win. He allowed two runs and three hits in three innings. The reliever gave up a pinch-hit, two-run home run to Vinnie Pasquantino that gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead with two outs in the seventh.
Mason Montgomery earned his 16th save. He retired the first two batters in the ninth before Luke Maile hit a double and took third on a fielding error by Jake Mangum. Montgomery got Isaac Collins to fly out to right to strand Maile.
The Royals went ahead 1-0 in the first inning with three straight singles off Lake Bachar. Bobby Witt Jr. beat out a groundball to second baseman Lowe. He moved to third on a single to right from Jac Caglianone and scored when Perez shot one through the middle of the infield.
Oneil Cruz tied it on his 20th home run of the season, starting the fourth inning with a drive to center field off a curveball left hanging in the middle of the zone by Wacha.
Spencer Horwitz put the Pirates up 2-1 with a bloop single to center off Michael Wacha that drove in O'Hearn with two outs in the sixth.
Saturday's game
Lowe hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth to lift the Pirates to a 6-5 victory over the Royals on Saturday night.
Lowe jumped on a pitch from Steven Cruz (2-4) and sent it into the seats in right field for his 33rd homer of the season, the second-most by a player in their first year with the Pirates. The two-time All-Star was acquired by Pittsburgh last winter.
Pittsburgh rookie outfielder Ronnie Simon hit his first career homer. Mangum added his fifth of the season.
Lowe, Flores and Cruz had two hits each for the Pirates. Luke Weaver (3-1) picked up the win by pitching a scoreless eighth. Montgomery worked the ninth for his 15th save.
Nick Loftin had four hits for the Royals. Witt Jr. added three and Carter Jensen slugged his 25th of the season but it wasn't enough to prevent the Royals from losing for the sixth time in seven games.
Pirates starting pitcher Bubba Chandler needed 90 pitches to get through four innings. The 24-year-old right-hander allowed three runs with a walk and six strikeouts.
Up next
Pirates RHP Jared Jones (4-6, 4.17 ERA) is expected to start Tuesday in the first of a three-game series against the Cardinals. RHP Andre Pallante (12-7, 3.70 ERA) will take the mound for St. Louis.