CHICAGO (AP) — Matthew Boyd pitched seven crisp innings for his 11th win, and the Chicago Cubs spoiled Rich Hill’s return to the majors with a 6-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson and Matt Shaw each had two hits as Chicago ended a two-game slide. Shaw, Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly had RBIs.
Boyd (11-3) gave up four hits, struck out six and walked one in winning his fifth straight start. The left-hander retired the first eight Royals batters and didn’t allow a hit until Nick Loftin led off the fifth with a line single.
Caleb Thielbar followed with a perfect eighth and Daniel Palencia worked around two singles in the ninth to complete a six-hitter.
Hill (0-1) became the oldest active player in baseball after the Royals selected the 45-year-old from Triple-A Omaha. He allowed three runs — one earned — and six hits in five innings. The left-hander threw 90 pitches (55 strikes), walking two and striking out one.
It was the debut of Hill’s 21st season in the majors and his first with Kansas City. The Royals are his 14th major league team, matching Edwin Jackson’s record.
Hill and the Royals fell behind 2-0 in the second when the Royals committed two errors, botching potential double plays. Crow-Armstrong doubled in a run off Hill in the fifth.
The Cubs put the game away with three runs in the seventh off Jonathan Bowlan.
Key moment
After Loftin singled in the fifth, the Royals loaded the bases with one out on Freddy Fermin’s bloop and John Rave’s bunt single. Swanson snared Kyle Isbel’s broken-bat liner at shortstop, then dived to tag out Fermin before he could get back to second for an inning-ending double play.
Key stat
The Cubs stole six bases in the game, including four off Hill. That included a double-steal by Justin Turner and Shaw in the second, Chicago scored its final run with on double-steal with Kyle Tucker stealing home and Suzuzki second base in the seventh.
Up next
Royals RHP Seth Lugo (6-5, 2.94 ERA) will face Cubs RHP Colin Rea (8-3, 3.80) on Wednesday.
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