Royals Avoid Sweep with 2-1 Win over Cardinals in I-70 Series

The Kansas City Royals avoided a series sweep by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1, snapping a four-game losing streak and halting the Cardinals' winning streak. The Cardinals took an early lead with a solo home run by Alec Burleson, but the Royals responded quickly with a tying RBI double from Dairon Blanco and a go-ahead RBI single by Maikel Garcia in the seventh inning. Michael Wacha pitched five strong innings, allowing just one run and striking out six, while the Royals bullpen, including Lucas Erceg, held the Cardinals scoreless through the late innings. Despite strong pitching performances from Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore and reliever Chris Roycroft, the Cardinals left 13 runners on base and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The Cardinals' offense struggled to capitalize, managing only the Burleson home run as the Royals' pitching and timely hitting proved decisive. The Royals will now prepare for a series against the San Francisco Giants, while the Cardinals missed the chance to sweep and extend their impressive road trip.