Vaughn Grissom singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth inning to give the visiting Atlanta Braves a 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday and extend their winning streak to six games.
Ozzie Albies began the rally with a one-out a double off the fence and scored when Grissom lined an opposite-field single to right field off reliever Scott Barlow (0-2), giving the Braves a sweep of the three-game series.
A.J. Minter pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out Bobby Witt Jr. to end the game and earn his third save in securing the win for Nick Anderson (1-0).
The Royals dropped to 1-9 at Kauffman Stadium, their worst start at home since starting the 2018 season 1-12.
Neither starting pitcher figured in the decision.
Atlanta's Kyle Wright pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, three walks and six strikeouts in his first career appearance against the Royals.
Kansas City veteran Zack Greinke worked six innings and allowed four runs on four hits. He struck out six and walked one.
The Braves scored three times in the third inning. With two runners on base, Matt Olson lined a ball that right fielder Edward Olivares allowed to skip past him, resulting in a two-run triple. Olson then scored on Austin Riley's sacrifice fly to right.
The Royals cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning when Witt grounded into a double play, allowing Franmil Reyes to score.
In the fourth, Atlanta's Albies belted his third home run, a solo shot into the bullpen in right field, to put the Braves ahead 4-1.
The Royals inched closer with a run in the sixth. After Wright was lifted with runners on first and second, reliever Michael Tonkin allowed Reyes' RBI single to left that cut the lead to 4-2.
Kansas City tied it 4-4 in the seventh on Vinnie Pasquantino's two-run homer, his third, off Tonkin to right field.
The Royals begin a three-game series against Texas on Monday. Atlanta continues its six-game road trip with a three-game series in San Diego.
--Field Level Media
Atlanta | Kansas City | |
Kyle Wright | Player | Zack Greinke |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
5.2 | IP | 6.0 |
6 | Strikeouts | 6 |
4 | Hits | 4 |
3.18 | ERA | 6.00 |
Atlanta | Kansas City | |
Ozzie Albies | Player | Franmil Reyes |
2 | Hits | 2 |
1 | RBI | 1 |
1 | HR | 0 |
6 | TB | 2 |
.500 | Avg | .500 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Atlanta | 7 | 1 | 14 | .212 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Kansas City | 7 | 1 | 10 | .212 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |