Kris Bubic allowed one run on two hits over 6 1/3 innings as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Seattle Mariners 8-1 Saturday night in the middle game of a three-game series. The Mariners' dwindling playoff chances took a hit, as they managed only three hits.

Bubic (5-6) earned his first win in his last five starts. It was his best outing since allowing two runs on just one hit against the Cubs in Wrigley Field on Aug. 21. He struck out two batters and walked four.

Yusei Kikuchi (7-9) lasted only three innings for the Mariners (79-69). He allowed three runs on eight hits, throwing 86 pitches.

Salvador Perez, who came into the game leading the majors with 112 RBIs, was 1-for-5 with an RBI. He remains tied with Johnny Bench for the most home runs by a player who played at least 75 percent of his team's games as a catcher.

The Royals (67-81) got their first run in the first with a little assistance from Kikuchi. After Whit Merrifield beat out an infield single, he advanced to second, third and home on wild pitches. Then, with two outs, the Royals strung together three straight singles, with Adalberto Mondesi's knock up the middle driving in Andrew Benintendi with the second run.

The Royals had a chance to extend the lead in the second, with runners on second and third and one out, but they couldn't score. But back-to-back two-out doubles by Mondesi and Michael A. Taylor gave the Royals their third run in the bottom of the third. The Royals stranded seven runners in the first four innings.

Taylor gave the Royals a four-run cushion when he lined a Sean Doolittle 95-mph fastball over the fence in left center in the fifth inning.

The Mariners finally got to Bubic in the seventh. Ty France led off with a double off the wall in left center. France went to third on a ground ball to the right side and scored on another groundout.

The Royals erased any doubt in the eighth with four runs on three hits.

--Field Level Media