Santana has 2 HRs, 5 RBIs in Mariners' 8-2 win over Royals

Domingo Santana hit two home runs in a game for the third time this season, Marco Gonzales won his third straight start and the Seattle Mariners avoided an embarrassing series sweep with an 8-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

Santana, who had five RBIs, and Daniel Vogelbach hit back-to-back homers in the first inning to give the Mariners a 4-0 lead and they went on to snap Kansas City's three-game winning streak. The Mariners had been outscored 15-4 by the Royals in the first two games of a series between last-place teams.

Seattle jumped on starter Brad Keller (3-9) immediately. Mallex Smith doubled to open the bottom of the first and J.P. Crawford walked before Santana hit his first home run of the day to left-center field. Vogelbach followed with his 18th of the season, off the Hit It Here Café in the second deck.

Seattle Mariners' Domingo Santana is congratulated by Chris Prieto after hitting a solo home run off Kansas City Royals' Brian Flynn during the seventh inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 19, 2019, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJohn Froschauer)

It was the eighth time this year the Mariners, second in the majors in homers, have gone back-to-back.

Seattle showed some of the small-ball potential of its new young lineup in the fourth after Dylan Moore singled to start the inning. Keller hit Smith with a pitch, then gave up run-scoring singles to Crawford and Santana before Vogelbach's sacrifice fly made it 7-1.

Keller didn't return for the fifth after giving up nine hits and throwing 97 pitches.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Marco Gonzales works against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 19, 2019, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJohn Froschauer)

Santana added a solo home run, his 15th of the season, in the sixth and finished with three hits. The top three batters in the order — Smith, Crawford and Santana — each scored two runs.

Gonzales (8-6) scattered six hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out five. It was his third straight victory after going 0-6 in his previous seven outings.

HERNANDEZ RESULTS

Seattle Mariners' Daniel Vogelbach swings into a pitch from Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller for a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 19, 2019, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJohn Froschauer)

An MRI showed nothing out of the ordinary in RHP Felix Hernandez's injured shoulder, Seattle manager Scott Servais said. The 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner is expected to begin working out again soon. Servais said Hernandez could pick up a ball in a few days for light tossing. Hernandez left a minor league appearance Friday night after experiencing fatigue in his shoulder and strained lat. He'll throw bullpens before making another minor league start.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Royals: SS Adalberto Mondesi was out of the lineup with tightness in his right groin. He's day to day.

Kansas City Royals' Nicky Lopez is forced out at second as Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, covering second, makes the throw to first to complete a double play on Lucas Duda during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 19, 2019, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJohn Froschauer)

Mariners: RHP Sam Tuivailala threw 30 pitches Tuesday in his first bullpen since taking a step back in his return from Achilles tendon surgery. The reliever said he didn't feel any of the muscle tightness in his arm that sidetracked his return last month. Tuivailala will report to Class A Everett where he will work out of the bullpen for three or more games until he earns a move to Triple-A Tacoma, Servais said.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Glenn Sparkman (1-3, 4.01 ERA) will face the Twins on Thursday night for the second time this week after giving up five runs and five hits in five innings of a loss last Saturday.

Seattle Mariners' Mallex Smith reacts after being hit by a pitch from Kansas City Royals starter Brad Keller during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 19, 2019, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJohn Froschauer)

Mariners: Servais said he will likely use an opener Thursday and then turn to Wade LeBlanc (3-2, 6.20 ERA) in the series opener against Baltimore.

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Kansas City Royals' Jorge Bonifacio stand on the field after flying out against the Seattle Mariners for the third out during the eighth inning a baseball game Wednesday, June 19, 2019, in Seattle. The Mariners won 8-2. (AP PhotoJohn Froschauer)

Kansas City Royals shortstop Nicky Lopez blocks a ground ball hit by Seattle Mariners' Daniel Vogelbach, before throwing him out at first during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 19, 2019, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJohn Froschauer)

Rookie Julio Rodríguez lined a bases-loaded, two-run double, Jarred Kelenic followed with a two-run triple on the next pitch and the Seattle Mariners beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1 Friday night.

Seattle starter Chris Flexen threw seven strong innings and the Mariners relied on one big inning to reach 5-2 on their nine-game homestand.

Salvador Perez homered in the sixth, his fifth straight game with a homer in Seattle. That was the only run Flexen (1-2) allowed as he pitched seven innings for the first time this season, scattering six hits and striking out five.

Seattle Mariners' Jarred Kelenic triples to score Abraham Toro and Julio Rodriguez during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJason Redmond)

Anthony Misiewicz pitched the eighth and Andrés Muñoz threw the ninth for his first save.

But this night was about Seattle’s young outfield stars coming through with big hits in a key moment.

First up was Rodríguez, mired in an early slump of frustrating strikeouts. Rodríguez began the night tied for the league lead with 22 punchouts, but his swing decisions have been praised by Mariners coaches for laying off pitches that appear outside the zone yet have been called strikes.

Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez doubles to score Eugenio Suarez and J.P. Crawford during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJason Redmond)

Rodríguez came through in the fourth. He fouled off a tough 3-2 pitch from starter Brad Keller, then got on top of a 93 mph fastball and lined it to right-center field.

The 21-year-old slid headfirst into second base and screamed into the noise of a home crowd that has anxiously awaited big moments from the tauted prospect.

Kelenic, also with his share of bad luck at the plate early on, followed on the next pitch from Keller with a deep shot to right center that Michael A. Taylor couldn’t track down.

Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez is safe at second base after hitting a double score Eugenio Suarez and J.P. Crawford during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJason Redmond)

The fourth was the only inning Seattle was able to do damage against Keller, but he failed to make it through the fifth due to a growing pitch count. Keller (0-2) allowed six hits and three earned runs. He had given up five hits and two earned runs in his first two starts combined.

ERROR STREAK ENDS

Kansas City’s streak of 11 games to begin the season without an error ended when Keller was unable to cleanly field Abraham Toro’s grounder during Seattle’s big fourth inning. Bobby Witt Jr. also had a throwing error in the eighth. The Royals began the night as one of two teams in baseball that hadn’t committed an error along with San Diego. The 11 games to begin the season without a defensive miscue was a new American League record.

Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13) celebrates with third base coach Vance Wilson after hitting a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJason Redmond)

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: Seattle had no new addition to its list of positive COVID-19 cases for the second straight day. The Mariners have yet to have any of their players or coaching staff rejoin the team.

UP NEXT

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller throws against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJason Redmond)

Royals: LHP Kris Bubic (0-1, 10.80) will make his third start Saturday. Bubic allowed only one run and two hits in his last start but gave up six walks.

Mariners: RHP Matt Brash (1-1, 3.38) makes his third start for Seattle. Brash picked up his first career win in his last start against Houston throwing 5 1/3 innings and allowing two runs.

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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Chris Flexen throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 22, 2022, in Seattle. (AP PhotoJason Redmond)