KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Blake Snell struck out nine in six strong innings and the San Francisco Giants completed a three-game series sweep with a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
Kansas City was shut out for the second straight game and lost its seventh straight. The Royals dropped into a tie with Detroit (82-74) in the race for an AL wild card. Minnesota is a half-game back of Kansas City and the Tigers, pending the outcome of its second game of a doubleheader against Boston.
Snell (5-3) allowed two singles and a walk and didn’t allow a runner past first base. In his last 14 starts, he is 5-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts.
Royals’ batters were 1 for 13 when Snell threw a first-pitch strike. Opponents are hitting .121 this season when the 31-year-old left-hander gets ahead in the count.
With one out in the second, Grant McCray lined an RBI triple to right-center and scored on Brett Wisely’s two-out hit. McCray snapped an 0-for-13 skid with his first extra-base hit since Sept. 7.
Kansas City’s Seth Lugo (16-9) retired the next 16 batters and finished with five strikeouts and two runs allowed through seven innings.
Three Giants relievers struck out four and Ryan Walker earned his ninth save.
San Francisco completed its first series sweep of Kansas City and its first series sweep against an American League opponent since April 15-17, 2022, at Cleveland.
The Royals have scored four runs in their last five games and have held a lead in just one of their last 50 innings.
Kansas City lost by shutout in consecutive games for the second time this season and the first time since June 22-23 at Texas.
UP NEXT
Giants: RHP Hayden Birdsong (4-5, 4.74 ERA) opposes Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-3, 5.09) in Arizona on Monday.
Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.24) opposes Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker (7-10, 4.44) in Washington on Tuesday.
