PHOENIX -- — Vinnie Pasquantino homered twice and drove in a career-high six runs, Bobby Witt Jr. added three hits and the Kansas City Royals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-3 on Friday night.

The Royals have won three of their past four games. The D-backs have dropped three straight.

Pasquantino gave the Royals a 3-0 lead in the first with a three-run shot into the right field seats off left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. The first baseman took Rodriguez deep again in the fourth, this time mashing the ball 401 feet over the right-center wall for a two-run homer and an 8-2 lead.

It was Pasquantino's second career multi-homer game. Mark Canha added a solo homer in the fifth.

Kansas City lefty Kris Bubic (7-6) gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks over seven innings. He struck out six.

Rodriguez (3-5) gave up nine runs — eight earned — over 4 1/3 innings and now has a 5.78 ERA. He struck out seven, but gave up 12 hits, including three homers.

Arizona cut Kansas City's lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the first on Eugenio Suarez's sacrifice fly and Josh Naylor's RBI single. But the Royals came right back with three runs in the second to take a 6-2 lead.

Suarez added a solo homer in the sixth — his 28th of the season.

Key moment

Rodriguez had two strikes on leadoff hitter Jonathan India in the first inning before hitting him with a pitch. Witt followed with a single and Pasquantino homered, foreshadowing a rough night for the D-backs.

Key stat

Rodriguez has a 6-9 record with a 5.49 ERA over 25 starts since signing with the D-backs on an $80 million, four-year deal in December 2023.

Up next

The series continues Saturday when the Royals send RHP Michael Wacha (4-8, 3.62 ERA) to the mound. The D-backs counter with RHP Ryne Nelson (4-2, 3.61).

------

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb