George Kirby fires 7 strong innings as M's best Royals

George Kirby pitched seven scoreless innings as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.

Luke Raley went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs while Ty France hit a two-run shot and a single for the American League West-leading Mariners, who have won three of the first four on their six-game homestand.

Kirby (4-3) allowed just three hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out six.

Mariners closer Andres Munoz got the final four outs for his sixth save of the season.

Royals starter Brady Singer (3-2) allowed more than two runs for just the second time in nine starts this season. The right-hander went five innings and gave up four runs on nine hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

The Royals threatened in the first, loading the bases with one out as Bobby Witt Jr. singled to right and Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez were hit by pitches. Kirby struck out Michael Massey and got Nelson Velazquez to ground to short to get out of the inning.

The only other hits the Royals managed against Kirby were an infield single by Dairon Blanco in the fifth and a ground-ball single to left by Velazquez in the seventh.

The Mariners opened the scoring in the second as Cal Raleigh led off with a double off the glove of first baseman Pasquantino, and an out later, Raley went deep to straightaway center on a 1-1 fastball.

Seattle doubled its advantage in the third. Julio Rodriguez and Jorge Polanco began the frame by lining singles to right. Raleigh then hit a deep fly to center that went off the glove of a leaping Blanco at the wall, scoring Rodriguez. With one out, Raley grounded a run-scoring single to right.

The Royals scored twice off reliever Ryne Stanek in the eighth. Maikel Garcia led off with a single before Witt grounded into a forceout. Pasquantino grounded a single to center, and with two outs, Massey hit a two-run double to right-center. Munoz replaced Stanek and struck out Velazquez to end the inning.

France hit a two-run shot to left with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to cap the scoring.