Arizona Diamondbacks vs Kansas City Royals Match Player Stats On Sep 29, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 30, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Whit Merrifield hit a go-ahead home run and Ian Kennedy ended a franchise-record home winless streak in the Kansas City Royals' 2-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

Merrifield homered in the third inning for the decisive run.

Kennedy (5-13), who was 0-9 with a 6.13 ERA in 18 home starts since an Aug. 20, 2016, victory over Minnesota, threw 86 pitches in five innings.

Five Royals relievers limited the Diamondbacks to two hits and no runs in the final four innings after Kennedy departed. Mike Minor logged his fifth save, working a hitless ninth while walking one and striking out two.

Mike Moustakas had three of the nine Kansas City hits.

The Royals scored a run off Zack Greinke in the first inning. Merrifield led off with a single but was thrown out attempting to steal second when Lorenzo Cain struck out. Next, Melky Cabrera doubled and scored on Eric Hosmer's opposite-field single. Hosmer went to third on Moustakas' single, but Greinke struck out Brandon Moss to prevent further damage.

The Diamondbacks tied it 1-1 in the second when Jake Lamb led off with a home run to right off Ian Kennedy.

The Royals regained the lead in the third on Merrifield's 19th home run that went just inside the left-field foul pole on a 1-0 Greinke pitch.

Greinke, who pitched his first seven years in the majors with Kansas City, was pulled after 75 pitches and four-plus innings. He was on a limited pitch count as he will start the wild-card game on Wednesday. The Royals remain the only team that Greinke has not beaten in his career.

Greinke walked Alex Gordon and Drew Butera, the Royals' eighth and ninth hitters, to lead off the fifth and was replaced by Dave Hernandez, who retired the next three hitters. Greinke allowed two runs in four innings on six hits, ending the season with a 3.20 ERA.

Kennedy was removed after five innings, giving up one run and four hits while striking out seven and walking one.

NOTES: The Diamondbacks are optimistic that C Jeff Mathis, who is out with a fractured right hand, could start one of the final two games and be on the postseason roster. ... Royals C Salvador Perez, who left the game Thursday with a groin strain, did not play Friday. ... Diamondbacks SS Chris Owings, who fractured his right middle finger on July 31, is rehabbing in the instructional league in Arizona. ... Don Free, who is retiring as the Royals radio producer/engineer after 32 years, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker and Royals rookie RHP Jake Junis are the Saturday probables.