KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Lorenzo Cain singled home pinch-runner Paulo Orlando in the 10th inning, and the Kansas City Royals rallied past the Seattle Mariners 4-3 Wednesday night to close in on their first division title in 30 years.
The victory reduced the Royals’ magic number to two for clinching the AL Central crown. They can lock it up Thursday night with another victory over Seattle and a Minnesota loss to Cleveland.
The defending AL champions have not won a division since taking the AL West in 1985 and going on to win the World Series.
Alex Gordon snapped an 0-for-22 skid with a one-out single in the 10th. After Ben Zobrist was hit by a pitch from David Rollins, Orlando ran for Gordon.
Cain’s single, his third hit, off Tom Zych, the eighth Seattle pitcher, sent Orlando home.