Whit Merrifield, Maikel Franco and Jorge Soler homered, and the Kansas City Royals stopped a six-game slide by pounding the Chicago Cubs 13-2 on Thursday night.

Soler and Salvador Perez each had three hits and two RBIs, helping Brad Keller to the win in his first major league appearance in nearly a year. Keller (1-0), who opened the season on the injured list after testing positive for the coronavirus, struck out seven in five scoreless innings.

Kansas City finished with a season-high 18 hits. It scored a total of 14 runs during its losing streak.

Chicago had won six in a row. Tyler Chatwood (2-1) allowed eight runs and 11 hits in 2 1/3 innings after winning each of his two starts this year in impressive fashion.

Kansas City grabbed control with nine runs over the first three innings.

Soler made it 12-0 with a solo drive in seventh against his former team.

Struggling Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel worked the eighth, allowing a run when Alex Gordon singled in Brett Phillips.

Victor Caratini and Nico Hoerner each had run-scoring singles in the ninth for Chicago.

Jon Lester (1-0, 0.82 ERA) starts at St. Louis on Friday night. He has given up one earned run in 11 innings this season.