Soler's three hits, three RBIs lead Royals over Pirates 9-6

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jorge Soler had two doubles among his three hits and drove in three runs to lead Kansas City over the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-6 on Wednesday night and improve the Royals' record to a major league-best 15-8.

Soler's doubles sparked three-run rallies in the first and sixth innings, the latter stretching the lead to 9-5.

Kansas City won for the sixth time in seven games.

Salvador Pérez also had three of Kansas City’s 12 hits. Hunter Dozier hit a two-run triple and Andrew Benintendi added a two-run double.

Erik Gonzalez and Jacob Stallings his back-to-back home runs for the Pirates, who had won three in a row.

Staked to a 6-0 lead, Kansas City starter Mike Minor lasted just 4 1/3 innings and gave up five runs –- four earned –- six hits and three walks.

Kyle Zimmer (2-0) got the last two outs of the fifth, and Josh Staumont retired four straight batters for third save.

Mitch Keller (1-3) walked five in 2 1/3 innings, allowed four runs and needed 83 pitches to get seven outs. Keller has 13 walks in 18 2/3 innings over five starts.

After Soler doubled in the game’s first run, Dozier hit a two-run triple to the 410-foot mark in left-center field.

A bases-loaded walk to Michael A. Taylor in the third inning and consecutive RBI singles by Pérez and Soler in the fourth extended the lead to 6-0.

Gonzalez hit a 453-foot shot to the bleachers in left-center. Stallings caught a break when the ball popped out of Taylor’s glove when the center fielder banged into the top of the fence while trying to make a catch.

Todd Frazier’s first hit with the Pirates, a two-run double in the fifth, cut the gap to 6-5. The two-time All-Star had been 0 for 14 since being called up from the alternate training site last week.

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source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Soler-s-three-hits-three-RBIs-lead-Royals-over-16137581.php