Curtis Mead hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning that broke a tie and gave the Washington Nationals a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
Nasim Nuñez hit two triples and scored three runs for the Nationals, who will look for a three-game sweep on Wednesday after handing Kansas City its sixth loss in seven games. The Royals have a season-worst record of 16 games under .500.
Paxton Schultz (1-2) earned the win in relief, and Gus Varland pitched the ninth inning — allowing a solo home run to former Nationals player Lane Thomas — for his sixth save. Daniel Lynch IV (2-1) took the loss.
Nationals starter Foster Griffin allowed one run and six hits in six innings, with two walks and six strikeouts. A first-round draft pick by Kansas City twelve years ago, Griffin has allowed one run or less in four of his last five starts.
But Isaac Collins tied the game at 3 for the Royals with a two-run single in the seventh inning. The Nats responded immediately. Nuñez walked to start the inning and then ran to second base ahead of shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., turning a James Wood grounder up the middle of the field that could have been a double play into a regular 6-3 grounder.
After Nuñez stole third base without being pitched, pinch-hitter Andrés Chaparro walked and Mead hit a drive to left-center field for his 11th home run of the season.
The Royals have the worst record in the majors, with 3 wins and 17 losses in 20 games this year against left-handed pitching.
Michael Wacha allowed three runs in six innings, marking 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 inning, then scored on Wood’s sacrifice fly. After Witt drove in a run for the Royals with a single in the fifth inning, Nuñez led off the bottom half with another triple. Wood drove him home again, this time with a single.
Nuñez tied Witt for the major league lead with 26 stolen bases. The Washington second baseman also made a spectacular diving catch on Tyler Tolbert’s short ball to right field in the second inning.
The injury-depleted Royals pulled third baseman Maikel García from the game in the sixth inning due to left hand soreness.
