Bobby Witt Jr. hit his first major league home run, Brad Keller pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 Tuesday night to end a four-game losing streak.
Witt connected for a solo homer in the second inning. The prized rookie extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
Witt had two hits, two RBIs and scored twice. MJ Melendez got a hit in his big league debut and Edward Olivares had a career-high four of the Royals' 15 hits.
Keller (1-2) allowed four hits in 6 1/3 innings, walked three and struck out two. He permitted a baserunner in every inning but sixth, but never more than one until the seventh.
Witt homered off Dakota Hudson (2-2), hitting an 0-1 changeup 417 feet into the bleachers in left center.
Witt came up in the fourth with no outs and runners on the corners and grounded into a double play that scored a run.
Hudson left after issuing a leadoff walk in the seventh to Nicky Lopez with the Royals ahead 2-0. Olivares hit an RBI trouble and Andrew Benintendi, Whit Merrifield, Witt and Michael Taylor also had RBIs in the inning.
The Cards got a run in the eighth on Tyler O'Neill's single.
The Cardinals and Royals will conclude their two-game series Wednesday with an afternoon contest. The game was originally scheduled for a 6:10 p.m. start, but the weather forecast led to the change. The Cardinals will send RHP Adam Wainwright (2-3, 4.00 ERA) to the mound. The Royals will counter with LHP Kris Bubic (0-2, 10.50 ERA).