Willson Contreras hits pair of 2-run homers in Cardinals' 8-5 victory over Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a pair of two-run homers and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Friday night.

Contreras opened the scoring in the first with a two-run shot off the top of the bullpen fence in right and added another two-run shot in the ninth, blasting his 15th homer 424 feet to left for his 15th multi-homer game.

“An absolute tank to left,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “Some really good at-bats and big swings by Contreras.”

Trailing 5-3 after five innings, the Cardinals scored five runs on seven hits against six relievers.

Will Smith (0-4) retired one of three batters faced in the eighth and, after a failed Kansas City challenge on a potential inning-ending double play grounder, St. Louis took a 6-5 lead on Victor Scott II’s two-out, two-run double.

“I was telling myself if he’s safe, it’s going to be definitely a critical situation in the ballgame,” Scott said. “Being able to come through right there is definitely special. There’s runners on base, so I’m just trying to do damage.”

Contreras, Alex Burleson and Brendan Donovan each had three of St. Louis’ 13 hits.

Matthew Liberatore (3-3) threw three hitless innings in relief of Miles Mikolas, who allowed five runs on eight hits in four innings.

“My goodness, look at what (Liberatore) did,” Marmol said. “36 pitches, three innings, didn’t give up anything at all. His stuff was sharp. He was pretty dominant. It was good to go to him early. (He) just shut them down.”

Mikolas has a 7.11 ERA over his past five starts. Ryan Hensley allowed a hit and a walk in finishing for his 37th save.

“I felt like we had a pretty good game plan going in,” Michael Massey said. “I felt like we did a pretty good job against him.”

Burleson lined his team-leading 20th home run to right leading off the third as the Cardinals built a 3-0 lead.

Kyle Isbel’s third-inning RBI triple snapped his 0-for-21 slide, plating the first run Mikolas surrendered to the Royals after 19 career scoreless frames. RBI singles by Massey and Salvador Perez tied it.

Maikel Garcia’s RBI double into the left-field corner and Massey’s deep sacrifice fly to center gave Kansas City a 5-3 lead in the fourth.

Michael Lorenzen made his second start since his July 29 acquisition from Texas, working 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

Massey had three of Kansas City’s 10 hits.

The Royals were homerless, snapping a 13-game streak with at least one home run, the second longest streak in club history.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals RHP John Schreiber (right knee patella tendon inflammation) threw a bullpen session Thursday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (4-6, 4.43 ERA) was set to start Saturday against RHP Michael Wacha (8-6, 3.55).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino flies out to St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt, foreground, sprints to second base for a double as Kansas City Royals right fielder Hunter Renfroe, back right, chases down his hit during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras hits a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras (40) is congratulated by Masyn Winn (0) after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

St. Louis Cardinals' Alec Burleson celebrates his solo home run against the Kansas City Royals with third base coach Ron "Pop" Warner during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Kansas City Royals' Kyle Isbel celebrates after scoring on a single by teammate Hunter Renfroe during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia, right, is congratulated by teammate Bobby Witt Jr. (7) after scoring on a sacrifice fly by teammate Hunter Renfroe during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado breaks his bat while hitting into a double play during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

St. Louis Cardinals' Victor Scott II celebrates a two-RBI double during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras celebrates a two-run home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

LONDON (AP) — Two men have been charged with burglary over the theft of an artwork by street artist Banksy from a London gallery, police said Friday.

The Metropolitan Police force said Larry Fraser, 47, and James Love, 53, are alleged to have taken “Girl with Balloon” from the Grove Gallery on Sunday night.

The suspects appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and were ordered detained until their next hearing on Oct. 9.

Police say they have recovered the work, which is valued in court documents at 270,000 pounds ($355,000).

The stolen work is one of several versions of “Girl with Balloon,” a stenciled image of a child reaching for a heart-shaped red balloon. Originally stenciled on a wall in east London, the picture has been endlessly reproduced, becoming one of Banksy’s best-known images.

Another version partially self-destructed during a 2018 auction, passing through a shredder hidden in its frame just after it was purchased for 1.1 million pounds ($1.4 million) at Sotheby’s.

The self-shredded work, retitled “Love is in the Bin,” sold for 18.6 million pounds ($25.4 million at the time) in 2021.

Bansky, who has never confirmed his full identity, began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world’s best-known artists. His mischievous and often satirical images include two policemen kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words, “Laugh now, but one day I’ll be in charge.”

His paintings and installations sell for millions of dollars at auction and have drawn thieves and vandals.

This summer a series of animal-themed stencils showed up around London. One of them, a howling wolf on a satellite dish, was removed by a masked man less than an hour after it was confirmed as authentic. An image of a gorilla at London Zoo and piranhas in a police sentry box in London’s financial district were both removed by the authorities for safekeeping.

FILE - A staff member poses for photographs with a print of "Girl with Balloon, 2004" by British street artist Banksy, at Bonhams auction house in London, Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)