Cole Irvin pitched 5 1/3 strong innings for his first victory of the season as the Baltimore Orioles beat the visiting Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Saturday.

Anthony Santander doubled twice and scored two runs and Gunnar Henderson and Adam Frazier each homered for the Orioles, who have their first three-game winning streak in almost a month.

Irvin (1-2), who is in his first season in Baltimore’s organization, was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to make the start. He allowed one run on six hits without a walk, striking out five.

The Orioles then used four relievers to win their first home series in the last four such situations. Kansas City’s offensive woes continued as it stranded nine runners on base.

Royals starter Brady Singer (4-5), who had won his previous two decisions, worked 4 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on six hits and three walks. Edward Olivares had three hits, but Kansas City lost its fifth consecutive game.

Santander ended up 3-for-4 for his first multi-hit outing in nine games, while Henderson and Ryan O’Hearn both had two hits.

Santander’s double and O’Hearn’s single drove in first-inning runs for the Orioles. Henderson hit a solo homer for his eighth long ball of the season in the second.

Olivares doubled to lead off the fifth and scored on Freddy Fermin’s single to put the Royals on the board.

The Orioles re-established the three-run cushion in the fifth with Santander doubling and scoring on Austin Hays’ one-out single.

Frazier’s seventh homer of the year was a two-run shot in the eighth off Scott Barlow, who was the only one of four Kansas City relievers charged with runs.

Both teams were without their regular first basemen because of injuries or illness as Kansas City’s Vinnie Pasquantino, who went on the injury list with a shoulder injury, and Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle missed the game.

–Field Level Media