Luinder Avila allowed two runs (one earned) while setting career highs with seven strikeouts and 6 1/3 innings, while Vinnie Pasquantino and Nick Loftin each had two hits and an RBI as the Kansas City Royals won 3-2 over the visiting San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.
Pressed into the Royals’ injury-ravaged rotation since early June, Avila (5-3) yielded five hits while helping secure a series win as the team improved to 4-1 on its post-All-Star break six-game homestand. In his last six starts, Avila is 4-0 with a 3.48 ERA.
Pasquantino and Loftin delivered RBI singles in the sixth to help Kansas City erase a 2-1 deficit. Alex Lange stranded a runner in the ninth, after blowing two save chances on this homestand, for his ninth save.
Tyler Mahle (2-9) was charged with all three runs and allowed five hits while completing five innings for the Giants, who have lost four straight. San Francisco managed only five hits and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
The Giants’ first two batters reached against Avila. Then he got Casey Schmitt to pop out and Rafael Devers to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. Avila induced another inning-ending 4-6-3 double play in the third.
In the bottom of the third, Carter Jensen sent a Mahle pitch over the right field wall for a 1-0 Kansas City lead.
San Francisco got to Avila in the fifth. With two outs, Jesus Rodriguez doubled on a ball that diving Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone couldn’t grab. Drew Gilbert followed with an RBI single to right, went to third on Christian Koss’ single and scored via a throwing error by Kansas City shortstop Tyler Tolbert.
Caglianone exited in the sixth with a sore right shoulder, with Isaac Collins taking his spot.
Mahle was pulled after he opened the sixth by walking Collins then hitting Salvador Perez. Sam Hentges entered and gave up a run-scoring single to Pasquantino. He then hit Starling Marte to load the bases.
After Hentges struck out Michael Massey, Keaton Winn came on and allowed Loftin’s tiebreaking single to left field.
Royals star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. did not play due to lingering back tightness. He left Monday’s game after sitting out Sunday with the ailment.
