PITTSBURGH — The Royals’ weekend in Pittsburgh started strong but fell flat on Sunday with a 4-3 loss to the Pirates on Sunday at PNC Park.
Starter Brady Singer walked four and allowed four runs in five innings, while the Royals’ offense went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base — the latter a continuing problem in the past few weeks.
Kansas City has lost seven of Singer’s eight starts since August began.
The Pirates jumped on Singer for a run in the first inning, but he settled down until the middle innings, allowing the Pirates to tie the game with a run in the fourth and take the lead with two runs in the fifth. Singer walked three batters in the fifth inning, including one that scored a run.
Kansas City got one run back in the top of the sixth when Bobby Witt Jr. walked with the bases loaded, but Salvador Perez’s flyout stranded three more runners.
Next the Royals host Detroit Monday at 6:40.