- LOUIS — It took almost two months, but the Royals finally won their first road series of 2018.
Drew Butera lined a two-run single with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to lift the Royals to a hard-earned 5-2 win over the Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon in the rubber game of the I-70 Series at Busch Stadium.
Added Butera, “That was nice. We needed that. We fought hard all three games and guys did a great job on both ends. And our bullpen did a great job.”
The Royals loaded the bases in the 10th with none out on singles by Jorge Soler and Gordon, and an error on Cards right-hander Bud Norris, who muffed a sacrifice bunt attempt by Alcides Escobar.
Butera got ahead in the count, 3-0, then he lined a 3-1 fastball into right-center field.
Trailing, 2-1, in the sixth, the Royals tied it when pinch-hitter Abraham Almonte singled, advanced to second on left fielder Tyler O’Neill’s fielding error and eventually scored on Whit Merrifield’s sacrifice fly to center.
Right-hander Jakob Junis was effective for five innings before being removed for a pinch-hitter. Junis got nicked for two runs in the second inning, the last coming in when No. 8 hitter Francisco Pena slapped a hanging slider to left for a two-out double that scored Jedd Gyorko.
Junis gave up five hits, walked one and struck out seven.
