ST. LOUIS (AP) Salvador Perez homered in both games and MJ Melendez added a solo shot in the nightcap to help the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 for a sweep of a day-night doubleheader Wednesday.
Kansas City took the opener 6-4. The Royals have won three in a row to improve to 51-43 a season after winning just 56 games.
Michael Wacha (6-6) went five innings for the victory in the second game. He pitched seven seasons in St. Louis (2013-2019) and was the MVP of the 2013 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was his first start in St. Louis since leaving five years ago.
Lars Nootbaar homered for St. Louis in the second game to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the second.
Closer James McArthur picked up his 17th save of the season and second of the day. McArthur had not pitched over the previous six days and was ready for the two-game challenge.
Perez, who will play in the All-Star Game next week, hit a 424-foot homer onto the grass in center field with one out in the sixth.
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Cardinals: RHP Sonny Gray (9-5, 3.30) will open a four-game series at home against the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
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