Cardinals down Royals 11-8 to sweep three-game series with Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Patience was more than just a virtue for the St. Louis Cardinals during an enjoyable three-game visit to Kansas City.

Patience also was key in producing 41 hits, 30 runs and a three-game sweep of the shell-shocked Royals, who had won two out of three the previous weekend in St. Louis.

"Guys aren't chasing many pitches out of the zone," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "That's kind of what's going on here."

The heavy-hitting Cardinals rapped out 17 hits and 11 runs Friday and 16 hits and eight runs Saturday before completing their first sweep in Kansas City since 2009 with an 11-8 victory Sunday.

The plate-patient Cardinals hitters drew nine walks Sunday -- six from starter Jonathan Sanchez and three from loser Tim Collins.

Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn delivers during the first inning Sunday in Kansas City, Mo. (ORLIN WAGNER ~ Associated Press)

"When you set in to play these games, you want the opposition to beat you," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "When you are walking guys and making errors, you are actually beating yourself."

Carlos Beltran had a three-run home run, and Matt Holliday and Allen Craig both drove in two runs for the Cardinals, who had scored just 11 runs during their three previous games.

"We know we're a good offensive team that's going to be able to score runs," Beltran said. "It's good to see guys getting healthy and swinging the bat a lot better."

Beltran gave the Cardinals a lead in the first by lining Sanchez's 0-2 pitch 389 feet over the fence for his 20th home run after Craig doubled and Holliday walked.

Beltran is tied with Milwaukee's Ryan Braun for the NL lead. The three RBIs boosted his total to 56, one more than Andre Ethier. Beltran had five hits and eight RBIs during the three-game sweep. He's also one homer shy of 200 in the National League. He has 322 overall.

"I don't really focus on numbers," he said. "I do look at my numbers at the end of the year and decide what type of year I have. Right now we have a lot of baseball to play. I just need to focus and help this team win as many ballgames as we can."

Mike Moustakas had two home runs, while Jeff Francoeur had one for the Royals.

Moustakas, the second overall pick in the 2007 draft, hit a two-run, 442-foot shot off Lance Lynn in the first inning and led off the fourth with a 387-foot shot for his first multihomer game. He also had a single and three RBIs.

"I just got some good pitches to hit today, and I didn't miss them," Moustakas said.

Lynn agreed.

"I made mistakes and both the guys who hit them are good hitters," he said. "Moustakas is a great young power hitter, and I threw him two fastballs over the plate, and he hit them. Then I hung a breaking ball to Francoeur. You've got to make better pitches to those guys."

Holiday hit an RBI double that sent Craig to third, which allowed the Cardinals to make it 5-2 when Sanchez uncorked a wild pitch later in the second inning.

Collins (4-2) intentionally walked Rafael Furcal to load the bases with one out and the Cardinals leading 7-6 in the eighth. Craig then lined a two-run single into center, and Daniel Descalso went from first to third when Jarrod Dyson bobbled the ball for an error. Holliday's sacrifice fly made it 11-6. Collins was charged with five runs, four earned, on three hits and three walks over 1 2/3 innings.

Victor Marte (1-1) got two outs in the sixth and faced one batter in the seventh for the win.

Cardinals starter Lynn, who was bidding to move into a tie for the NL lead with his 11th victory, went 5 1/3 innings. He gave up nine hits and six runs, including three home runs. He had allowed only five home runs before Sunday.

Moments after Francoeur's solo homer in the fourth made it 5-4, Brayan Pena hit a line shot off the back of the 6-foot-5 right-hander for a single. Lynn continued after tossing a few test pitches, and gave up Dyson's RBI triple that tied it 5-5 one out later.

"I'm fine," Lynn said. "It just grazed my back."

Yadier Molina's home run made it 6-5 in the sixth.

Holliday walked, stole second and made it 7-6 on David Freeze's RBI single in the seventh. Billy Butler had a two-run home run for the Royals in the ninth.