Blake Snell, Giants hand Royals seventh straight loss

Grant McCray tripled in a run and scored another in a two-run second inning, Blake Snell combined with three relievers on a shutout and the San Francisco Giants completed a surprising three-game road sweep over the playoff-contending Kansas City Royals with a 2-0 win Sunday afternoon.

A seventh straight defeat dropped the Royals (82-74) into a tie with the Detroit Tigers for the second American League wild-card playoff spot with just six games to play. The Minnesota Twins are one game behind both teams after they suffered a doubleheader sweep against the Red Sox on Sunday.

The Giants (77-79) did all their scoring against Royals ace Seth Lugo (16-9) in the second. Jerar Encarnacion singled with one out and McCray lashed a triple to right field to open the scoring. One out later, he jogged home on a single by Brett Wisely.

Lugo allowed two runs on three hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking none.

Snell (5-3) allowed two hits and one walk in six shutout innings, striking out nine. It was his second consecutive start — and seventh overall this season — in which he did not allow a run.

Sean Hjelle struck out the side in the seventh for the Giants. Tyler Rogers survived a bases-loaded scare in the eighth in which he walked Bobby Witt Jr. intentionally with two on and two away in order to face Salvador Perez. Rogers got the standout catcher to pop out to retain the shutout.

The Royals also threatened in the ninth against Giants closer Ryan Walker. MJ Melendez was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Walker then struck out Hunter Renfroe, got Yuli Gurriel to ground out and induced a popout from Michael Massey to lock down his ninth save.

McCray’s triple was the only extra-base hit in a game that featured just six total hits, three by each team.

–Field Level Media

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