Billy Butler homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning and the Kansas City Royals outlasted the Seattle Mariners 8-7 on Wednesday night.
(AP) --
Butler hit a 1-1 pitch from Josh Kinney (0-1) out to left center for his 18th homer. Butler went 3-for-3 and walked twice.
Greg Holland (4-2) pitched a perfect ninth for the win.
Lorenzo Cain, who had a pinch-hit homer Tuesday, homered in the fifth inning with Butler aboard. Cain, who also singled and scored in the Royals' three-run second inning, is 10-for-20 in his six-game hitting streak.
Royals starter Bruce Chen, who had an 11.85 ERA while giving up 24 hits and 18 runs in 13 2-3 innings in his past three starts, gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings, walking none and striking out six.
Chen gave up a solo home run to Kyle Seager in the second and a two-run shot to Casper Wells in the fourth. He has allowed nine home runs in 19 innings over his past four starts.
The Royals led 7-4 after five innings. Alex Gordon had a two-run double in the fourth, while Cain homered in the fifth.
The Kansas City bullpen, however, failed to hold the lead after Chen left. The Mariners scored three runs in the seventh off Jose Mijares and Aaron Crow. Jesus Montero hit a two-run single and scored on Seager's two-out double.
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