KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jac Caglianone hit a home run and drove in two as the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 Friday night to clinch the three-game series and snap a three-series losing streak.
Seth Lugo (3-4) pitched six innings in his return from the concussion list after being hit on the forehead by a line drive June 10. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits. Alex Lange earned his fifth save.
Michael McGreevy (3-6) took the loss. He allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings.
Caglianone's shot was his 10th of the season.
The Cardinals scored a run in the first on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Walker, scoring Ivan Herrera. Walker's 58th RBI gave him the MLB lead, pending the Athletics' Nick Kurtz's game later Friday against the Angels.
Herrera drove in Nathan Church with a single in the third to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
The Royals seized the lead with four runs in the fourth. Lane Thomas led off with a double and scored on a single by Caglianone. Michael Massey's single drove home Caglianone. After John Rave walked, Isaac Collins drove home Massey and Rave with a double.
The Royals added a run in the fifth on Caglianone's homer and another on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Tolbert in the sixth.
The Cardinals got three in the ninth off Matt Strahm, but Lange stranded the tying run.
Following a rare Saturday off-day because of a World Cup match at neighboring Arrowhead Stadium, the Cardinals and Royals conclude their three-game series Sunday. The Cards will send RHP Dusty May (5-6, 3.75 ERA) to the mound to face RHP Stephen Kolek (4-1, 2.68).
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Kansas City Royals' Jac Caglianone crosses the plate to score after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Walker watches his sacrifice fly to score one run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a three-run home run, Jeremy Peña had two solo shots and the Houston Astros beat the Cleveland Guardians 9-3 on Friday night.
Altuve’s eighth home run of the season came on the first pitch of the night from Guardians reliever Matt Festa. It landed in the first row of the left- field Crawford Boxes.
Peña’s first home run of the night came in the third inning to cut Cleveland’s lead to a run, and then he led off the seventh with his sixth home run of the season and third multi-homer game of his career. He finished the night 3 for 5 with three RBIs.
Altuve added an RBI double later in the inning for a season-high four RBIs.
After failing to complete the first inning in his previous start, Tatsuya Imai (4-3) struck out a career-high 11 batters while allowing three runs on six hits over six innings without issuing a walk. He retired the final 11 he faced after giving up a two-run homer to Rhys Hoskins in the third inning.
The 11 strikeouts were a season high by an Astros pitcher, and it’s the first time they’ve had a pitcher strike out at least 11 without walking a batter since Yusei Kikuchi on Aug. 31, 2024.
Houston's Yordan Alvarez was 1 for 4 with a walk to extend his on-base streak to 25 games.
Tanner Bibee (2-8) was charged with four runs, three earned, over 5 1/3 innings.
Erik Sabrowski allowed two runs over 1/3 of an inning for Cleveland after being reinstated from the injured list before the game.
Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-2, 2.57 ERA) was set to face LHP Joey Cantillo (5-3, 4.38 ERA) on Saturday.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Cleveland Guardians right fielder Kahlil Watson catches a fly ball hit by Houston Astros' Christian Walker during the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 19, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Houston Astros second baseman Raynel Delgado (29) and shortstop Jeremy Peña (3) celebrate after a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Houston Astros' Jake Meyers scores on a hit by Jeremy Peña during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Houston Astros' Jeremy Peña (3) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
