Salvador Perez hit a sixth-inning grand slam for his second homer of the game and had six RBIs as the visiting Kansas City Royals completed a doubleheader sweep of the Cleveland Guardians with 9-4 nightcap victory on Monday.
Perez broke a 4-4 tie with his solo homer in the fifth off Cleveland starter Logan Allen (8-5).
In the sixth, singles by Garrett Hampson and Maikel Garcia (three hits) and an intentional walk to Bobby Witt Jr. loaded the bases against Allen. With two out against Cleveland’s Tim Herrin, Perez went deep into the left field seats on a 3-1 count for his 25th homer.
The victory came after Witt clubbed a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth of a 4-3 win in Game 1, and the sweep leaves Kansas City one game back of the American League Central-leading Guardians. Paul DeJong also homered in Game 2 for the Royals, who pounded out 15 hits while logging their ninth win in 12 games.
Daniel Schneemann hit a tying homer in the fourth and Jose Ramirez had three doubles for the Guardians, who have lost eight of 11. Cleveland has lost every game in its four doubleheaders this season.
Royals starter Alec Marsh allowed four runs — two earned — in 4 2/3 innings. However, Royals relievers Sam Long (3-1) and Daniel Lynch IV combined to yield two hits in 4 1/3 scoreless frames. Lynch handled the final three innings for his first career save.
Allen allowed five runs, eight hits and four walks in five innings. He struck out one.
Cleveland scored three times in the first. Marsh allowed singles to Steven Kwan and Andres Gimenez, and both scored when Royals right fielder Dairon Blanco got turned around on a Ramirez’s liner. The Guardians made it 3-0 when Ramirez scored from third on Marsh’s errant pickoff attempt of Josh Naylor at first base.
The Royals got a run back in the top of the second when DeJong clubbed an Allen pitch well into the left field bleachers. Then in the third, Garcia singled, went to third on Witt’s line-drive double and eventually scored on Perez’s groundout.
Kansas City erased its deficit in the fourth when Hampton dumped an RBI single to center. Garcia’s sacrifice fly later in the frame put the Royals ahead 4-3.
–Field Level Media