Royals win three of four games against division-leading Guardians

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

After encountering a lengthy slump for most of June, the Royals are ending the month with some refound momentum. Kansas City clinched a four-game series win over Cleveland with a 6-2 victory on Sunday, marking its fourth win in its last five matchups.

The Guardians still have a tight grip on the top spot in the American League Central division, but the Royals made a dent in their lead. Kansas City now sits seven games behind Cleveland and one game from catching Minnesota for second place in the standings.

Seth Lugo's brilliant effort on the mound helped lift the team to an important series win. The right-hander recorded 10 strikeouts over six shutout innings to secure his league-leading 11th win of the season. Sunday marked Lugo's third double-digit strikeout effort of the campaign.

As a team, the Royals tallied 11 hits, led by three-hit efforts from Bobby Witt Jr., who highlighted his performance at the dish with an RBI triple, and Vinnie Pasquantino, who also posted an RBI in the contest. Salvador Perez also crushed his 14th home run of the season to cap off a game where Kansas City never trailed.

Up next - the Royals have a break on Monday before returning to action on July 2. Matt Quatraro's crew closes out its 10-game homestand with a series against Tampa Bay on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m.