Mike Minor pitched six solid innings as the host Kansas City Royals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 Monday night.

Adalberto Mondesi had two hits, including a two-run home run, before being replaced in the eighth inning. The Royals have won 10 of their last 16 games to return to .500.

Minor (4-2) allowed two runs on five hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

Starter Chad Kuhl (0-2) lasted only four innings for Pittsburgh, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out five and didn't walk a batter.

In the first inning, the Pirates used two hard-hit balls to set up their first run, then used a dribbler to drive it in. Adam Frazier ripped a double down the line in right, and he went to third on Kevin Newman's flyout to the wall in left. Bryan Reynolds rolled one about 75 feet toward first, far enough to score Frazier.

The Royals answered in the bottom of the first with an RBI single by Salvador Perez, scoring Whit Merrifield, who led off with a double.

Kansas City took the lead with two runs in the second.

Hunter Dozier drove in the first of those with a double, driving in Edward Olivares, who was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Dozier then scored on a single by Kelvin Gutierrez against the shift. The Royals loaded the bases with two outs, but Kuhl escaped further damage as Salvador Perez flied out.

The Pirates got a run back in the third when Kevin Newman doubled and Jacob Stallings added a two-out single.

Mondesi pushed the Royals' lead back up to three at 5-2 with a 417-foot line shot beyond the bullpen in right in the fifth. Mondesi, who was playing in his first home game of the season, hit the first pitch he saw in the at-bat, scoring Andrew Benintendi, who had singled.

Pittsburgh got a run back in the eighth. Reynolds' second RBI went about 350 feet farther than his first, a 427-foot home run to center field.

The Royals got two runs in the bottom of the inning on a fielder's choice by Gutierrez and a double by Michael A. Taylor.

--Field Level Media