Salvador Perez's 8th-inning homer lifts Royals to sweep over Pirates, who lose 6th straight

For all their ongoing struggles, the Pittsburgh Pirates deserved to take some pride in their recent six-game win streak, which saw the club put together a perfect homestand ahead of nine straight on the road.

But whatever modicum of momentum that stretch crafted since has been spoiled by a frustrating road swing, resulting first in a sweep in Seattle before the Pirates dropped the first two of three games in Kansas City.

Bailey Falter started in Wednesday’s finale at Kauffman Stadium, as the Pirates looked to avoid their sixth straight loss and second consecutive sweep.

While the Pirates overcame an abbreviated start by Falter, coming back from a three-run hole, they still fell 4-3 to go 0-6 on the road trip.

An eighth-inning solo home run by Salvador Perez, his second of the game, on the first pitch from Isaac Mattson, was the difference.

“Another one-run game,” manager Don Kelly said on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show. “Frustrating, especially coming up on the short end losing six in a row. Winning six in a row at home and then coming out on the road and losing six, it’s tough when you’re going through that.”

Kelly opted to end Falter’s (6-4, 3.79 ERA) evening after 4 2/3 innings, over which time the Pirates starter allowed three runs on six hits.

Five of those hits were for extra bases, including two homers, while Falter struck out three, walked two and threw 74 pitches (50 strikes), taking a no-decision.

After coming up empty on several scoring chances vs. Royals starter Kris Bubic, the Pirates (38-56) finally broke through with a three-run top of the sixth, chasing him from the game.

Oneil Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes collected RBIs.

Kansas City got on the board in the bottom of the second, as Perez made it 1-0 with a solo home run off Falter.

In the top of the inning, a leadoff double by Cruz was wasted, as was getting two men aboard in the third, when Jared Triolo walked and Tommy Pham singled.

After Bubic, who entered Wednesday with the seventh-lowest ERA in baseball, quelled those handful of threats by the Pirates, Kansas City went up 3-0 in the fourth.

Maikel Garcia began the frame with a leadoff double down the third-base line and scored on a moonshot home run to center field by Jac Caglianone, which traveled an estimated 466 feet.

Bubic retired the Pirates in order in the third and fourth before Pham got something started in the sixth with a leadoff single.

After Andrew McCutchen walked, putting two men on with no outs, Bryan Reynolds singled, loading the bases.

• Cruz made it 3-1 with an RBI groundout before Hayes tied things with a two-run single to score McCutchen and Reynolds.

Kelly called upon rookie Braxton Ashcraft to relieve Falter in the fifth.

“Bailey tonight, maybe not his best stuff but certainly not his worst or a bad outing,” Kelly said. “He gave us a chance to win.”

Staying on for the sixth, Ashcraft faced runners on second and third with two outs following a single by Perez and double by Freddy Fermin, but he struck out Kyle Isbel to escape the jam.

Ashcraft struck out a pair in the bottom of the seventh before allowing a double to Vinnie Pasquantino, with Garcia flying out to send the game into the eighth.

Ashcraft provided 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Pirates, striking out three with three hits and zero walks.

Mattson had worse luck upon entering the game.

One night after serving up the walk-off RBI single in Tuesday’s defeat to the Royals, Mattson’s 85 mph slider to Perez was crushed 428 feet to center field.

Needing another rally in the ninth, pinch-hitter Adam Frazier got aboard with a single. But Carlos Estevez struck out Hayes, got Spencer Horwitz to fly out and Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded out, ending the game.

“We’ve got to keep going, get back on track and keep grinding,” Kelly said. “We always talk about 162 games. It’s always easier when it’s going good than when it’s going tough, but we’ve got to dig deep and find a way.”