KANSAS CITY – Nolan Arenado homered for the third game in a row, Tyler O’Neill also blew the wall and the St. Louis Cardinals completed the sweep with a 7-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
In the second inning, Arenado and O’Neill homered in consecutive at-bats for the second time in the past three games.
Arenado’s 25th homer this season brought two runs to the plate, while the 432-foot slam through center field was O’Neill’s 20th and gave San Luis a seven-touchdown lead.
Arenado, 30, was 12-5 with three homers, nine RBIs and four scored during the series.
St. Louis turned the batting order upside down in the first inning and crossed the plate three times. Arenado hit an RBI single and José Rondón added a two-run double for a 3-0 lead.
JA Happ (7-6) faced the Royals for the fourth time this season, and this was his best performance against Kansas City.
He worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed five hits, two walks and two strikeouts. It was the second time this season that he did not allow a run in a start. Cardinals starters gave up just one earned score in 17 2/3 innings in the series.
Kris Bubic (3-6) stayed on the mound for just 1 1/3 innings, in which he allowed seven runs and nine hits, with a walk and a strikeout. It was the shortest start of his career and the one in which he has allowed the most touchdowns.
The Kansas City bullpen pitched seven 2/3 scoreless innings in which they only allowed three hits.
Venezuelan Salvador Pérez hit 30 home runs on the season with his home run in the eighth inning that put the Royals on the board. It was the 400th extra base in his career.
For the Cardinals, Venezuelan José Rondón 4-1 with two RBIs. Panamanian Edmundo Sosa 3-2.
For the Royals, Venezuelan Pérez 4-1 with two RBIs and one scored. The Dominicans Carlos Santana 4-1 with a run scored; Hanser Alberto 2-0. Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rivera 4-2.
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