KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Kendrys Morales hit two home runs and had five RBIs, Chris Young gave up six hits in six innings and the Kansas City Royals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0 Friday night.
The Royals improved to 27-14, the best record in the majors, while the Cardinals dropped to 27-15, best in the National League.
Morales, who leads the American League with 37 RBIs, hit a three-run homer with two out in the first. He homered again in the third with Lorenzo Cain aboard for his 13th multihomer game. The five RBIs matched a Royals' season high.
Young (4-0) got 13 flyball outs and struck out two. In Young's four starts, he has allowed one earned run in 22 1-3 innings (0.40 ERA).
Royals starters Young, Edinson Volquez, Yordano Ventura and Jeremy Guthrie have combined to throw 26 shutout innings while allowing 18 hits in the past four games.
Young, who beat the Cardinals for the first time in his career, gave up all singles and walked two, while stranding seven runners. He threw a season-high 106 pitches.
Morales and Salvador Perez combined for six of the Royals' 11 hits.
Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn (3-4), who had won his previous two starts, was pulled after six innings, allowing five runs and 10 hits.
The Cardinals loaded the bases in the eighth on a hit batter, a walk and a single off reliever Ryan Madson, but came away empty. Madson got out of the inning by retiring Jason Heywood on a fielder's choice to second baseman Omar Infante.
St. Louis stranded 13 and went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position. The Cardinals were shut out for the second straight day, losing 5-0 Thursday to the New York Mets.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: OF John Jay (left wrist tendinitis) is scheduled to come off the disabled list Tuesday.
Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (stiff shoulder) will be skipped from a Saturday start. . LHP Jason Vargas (flexor strain) threw 45 pitches in a three-inning simulated game Friday.
UP NEXT
Cards: RHP John Lackey, who starts Saturday, is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in four road starts.
Royals: Volquez, who moves up a day in the rotation, has problems with Cards OF-DH Matt Holliday, who is 11 for 32 (.344) with two homers off him.
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