Michael Lorenzen spins gem as Royals blank Diamondbacks

Michael Lorenzen pitched seven scoreless innings and won for the first time in nearly a month on Sunday as the Kansas City Royals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-0 in Phoenix.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, who took two out of the three games in Arizona. Kyle Isbel went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Vinnie Pasquantino was also 2-for-4 with two doubles.

Lorenzen (5-8) pitched seven innings and allowed just two hits and a walk to record his first victory on the mound since beating the Chicago White Sox on June 8. He also matched his season high with seven strikeouts.

The Diamondbacks, who entered Sunday averaging 5.2 runs per game, were shut out for just the second time this season, with the other instance occurring on April 11. They were also held to just three hits, tying a season low that's happened four other times -- including Thursday's 7-2 loss over the San Francisco Giants.

Lorenzen did not give up a hit until Randal Grichuk doubled with two out in the fifth.

Arizona pitcher Anthony DeSclafani (0-1) made his first start for the club that signed him as a free agent three weeks ago and his first major league start in nearly two years. The 35-year-old righty, who missed the second half of 2023 and all of last season due to an elbow injury, stymied the Royals over the first three innings. That changed, though, as Kansas City batters got their second look at him.

Witt took DeSclafani deep to left center on the first pitch he saw in the fourth inning for a solo home run, his 12th of the season. An out later, Perez blasted another solo shot, his 10th, to nearly the same location that made it 2-0.

DeSclafani hit Jac Caglianone to start the fifth and would depart after giving up singles to Nick Loftin and John Rave, the latter of which scored Caglianone. The D-backs starter struck out six and walked none but gave up four earned runs on four hits and two hit batters in four-plus innings.

--Field Level Media