KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Edinson Volquez pitched seven effective innings, Alcides Escobar had two hits, scored a run and drove in a run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Atlanta Braves 5-1 to open a six-game homestand Friday night.
The World Series champion Royals had dropped 12 of their previous 16 games, while the Braves, who have the worst record in the National League, lost for the 17th time in 25 games.
Volquez (4-3) picked up his first victory since April 21, snapping a three-game winless streak. Erick Aybar's sacrifice fly in the seventh scored Jeff Francoeur, who led off the inning with a single, for the only run Volquez allowed.
Volquez, who threw 55 strikes in 83 pitches, allowed 1 run on 6 hits, walked none and struck out 2.
Julio Teheran (0-4) is winless in eight starts this season, the longest winless streak of his career, despite a 1.48 ERA in his past five starts. Teheran held the Royals to 2 runs, 1 unearned, and 4 hits over 7 innings.
Escobar led off the Royals' first with a single to right and advanced to third on Francoeur's two-base fielding error. Escobar scored on Lorenzo Cain's groundout to Aybar.
Escobar's two-out single in the second inning scored Cheslor Cuthbert, who has hit in all seven games he has played since being called up from Class AAA Omaha.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CUBS 9, PIRATES 4 Addison Russell, David Ross and Kris Bryant homered, leading Jason Hammel and the Chicago Cubs over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Russell and Ross connected for three-run shots and Bryant hit a two-run drive. That was plenty for Hammel (5-0), who struck out a season-best 8 over 62/3 innings, giving up 1 earned run and 8 hits.
PHILLIES 3, REDS 2 Jeremy Hellickson (3-2) struck out nine in seven innings and drove in the go-ahead run on a suicide squeeze, helping Philadelphia beat visiting Cincinnati.
NATIONALS 5, MARLINS 3 Bryce Harper hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run in the seventh inning, sending host Washington over Miami. Harper, playing while he appeals a one-game suspension for his behavior following an ejection Monday, walked his first two times up and singled in the fifth.
BREWERS 1, PADRES 0 Junior Guerra pitched six innings of two-hit ball to help host Milwaukee beat San Diego. Making his third career major league start, Guerra (2-0) struck out four and walked two.
ROCKIES 5, METS 2 Hard-throwing righty Jon Gray (1-1) picked up his first major league victory and base hit, helping Colorado beat visiting New York to snap an 11-game skid to the Mets.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ASTROS 7, RED SOX 6 George Springer homered off former UConn teammate Matt Barnes and drove in four runs, leading Houston over host Boston. Jose Altuve got three hits, scored twice and drove in a run for Houston.
BLUE JAYS 5, RANGERS 0 R.A. Dickey tossed eight innings, Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki homered and visiting Toronto beat Texas. Dickey (2-4) struck out 6 and walked 1 while allowing only 3 singles.
WHITE SOX 7, YANKEES 1 Chris Sale became the major leagues' first eight-game winner, working quickly and efficiently in a six-hitter that led visiting Chicago over New York.
ORIOLES 1, TIGERS 0 Chris Tillman pitched seven innings of five-hit ball, Adam Jones broke up a scoreless duel with a sixth-inning home run off Justin Verlander and host Baltimore beat skidding Detroit. Tillman (5-1) struck out seven and walked two to win his fourth consecutive start.
INDIANS 7, TWINS 6 Marlon Byrd's two-run double in the eighth inning lifted host Cleveland to a victory over Minnesota, sending the Twins to their eighth consecutive loss.
ATHLETICS 6, RAYS 3 Danny Valencia hit his first two home runs of the season in his first game back from a hamstring injury and visitng Oakland beat Tampa Bay to end a five-game skid. Rich Hill (5-3) pitched six innings to win for the fourth time in his last five starts.
Sports on 05/14/2016