WASHINGTON (AP) — Curtis Mead hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Washington Nationals to a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
Nasim Nuñez tripled twice and scored three times for the Nationals, who will go for a three-game sweep Wednesday after handing Kansas City its sixth loss in seven games. The Royals are a season-high 16 games under .500.
Paxton Schultz (1-2) got the win in relief, and Gus Varland pitched the ninth — allowing a solo homer by ex-National Lane Thomas — for his sixth save. Daniel Lynch IV (2-1) took the loss.
Nationals starter Foster Griffin allowed a run and six hits in six innings with two walks and six strikeouts. A first-round draft pick of Kansas City's a dozen years ago, Griffin has allowed one run or fewer in four of his last five outings.
But Isaac Collins tied it at 3 for the Royals with a two-run single in the seventh. The Nats answered immediately. Nuñez drew a leadoff walk and then hustled to beat shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to second base, turning James Wood's roller up the middle from a double play into a regular 6-3 grounder.
After Nuñez stole third without a throw, pinch-hitter Andrés Chaparro drew a walk and Mead sent a drive to left-center field for his 11th homer of the season.
The Royals are a major league-worst 3-17 in 20 games this year against left-handed starters.
Michael Wacha allowed three runs in six innings for Kansas City's 35th quality start of the season. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers have more, but Kansas City is just 19-16 in those games.
Nuñez opened the scoring with an RBI triple in the third, then scored on Wood's sacrifice fly. After Witt singled home a run for the Royals in the fifth, Nuñez led off the bottom half with another three-base hit. Wood again brought him home, this time with a single.
Nuñez, the Washington second baseman, also made a diving catch of Tyler Tolbert's flare to shallow right field in the second.
The banged-up Royals removed third baseman Maikel Garcia from the game in the sixth because of left hand soreness.
Up next
The Nationals send Zack Littell (6-5, 5.32 ERA) to the mound against Kansas City's Luinder Avila (1-3, 6.19) on Wednesday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
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This version has been corrected to delete a reference to Nuñez tying Witt in steals.
Noah Trister, The Associated Press
