Perez, Renfroe hit 2-run shots during 5-run frame, Royals beat Phillies 7-4 to open interleague set

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez and Hunter Renfroe hit two-run homers during a five-run third inning Friday night, and the Kansas City Royals went on to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 in the opener of an interleague series between playoff contenders.

Perez parlayed his success in a Wiffle ball game against neighborhood kids a day earlier into a three-RBI night. Paul DeJong and Vinnie Pasquantino also drove in runs, helping the Royals close within a game of first-place Cleveland in the AL Central.

“The Wiffle ball yesterday got me ready for today,” joked Perez, who also went over 900 RBIs for his career. “Pretty good night.”

Michael Wacha (11-6) ran his winning streak to seven straight decisions, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings while striking out five. He hasn’t lost since June 22, and he hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a start since June 4.

Lucas Erceg worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his 10th save and fourth since his trade to Kansas City.

“It was hard work,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “They’re always going to make you work. That’s a talented team.”

The troubles continued for the Phillies’ Taijuan Walker (3-5), though. The veteran allowed six runs on eight hits and a walk in just three innings, and has now surrendered 30 runs on 43 hits and 18 walks over 38 innings in his eight starts.

“In the third, everything was in the middle of the plate. It was command,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who declined to say whether Walker would make his next scheduled start. “It’s more attacking the hitters, but then you don’t want to be in the middle of the plate all the time. It’s one of those things. He gets behind and then he has to come to the middle.”

Kansas City certainly made it a rude return to the area for Thomson. He played his college ball down Interstate 70 at Kansas, where his .369 average from 1983-85 remains tied for the fifth-best in school history.

Nick Castellanos, Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh drove in the runs for Philadelphia.

The Royals began a stretch of 20 games against teams that currently hold playoff positions, including the Phillies, who began the day with a six-game cushion in the NL East. And they did it in style, racing to a 6-1 lead after their big third inning.

The Royals were still leading 7-2 in the eighth when Philadelphia tried to rally off Kris Bubic. Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm and Castellanos reached on one-out singles, and Harper scored on a wild pitch. But Bubic bounced back to get Stott to hit a sacrifice fly and got J.T. Realmuto on a groundout, preserving the Royals’ three-run lead.

Erceg handled it from there as Kansas City won for the seventh time in its last eight games.

“It was nice to get the first game out of the series for sure,” Wacha said. “We’re not looking ahead too far. Our mentality is to win today and worry about tomorrow when it gets here. We all feel we have a really good team to do something special.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: OF Austin Hayes (left hamstring strain) was reinstated from the injured list and started in left field. OF Cal Stevenson was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room for him on the roster.

Royals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back tightness) was planning to see doctors Friday after having two good days in the hopes of formulating a throwing plan. He received an injection Tuesday after experiencing a setback a day earlier.

Phillies: LHP Ranger Suárez is expected to return Saturday night from the injured list, where he’s been since late July with lower back soreness.

Royals: RHP Brady Singer (9-8, 3.18 ERA) will try to build off six shutout innings against the Reds.

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