Seattle scored four runs in the second inning and cruised to a 7-2 win over the Royals on a Sunday afternoon at the Kingdome.

Royals starter Dennis Leonard had an easy first inning but struggled in the second. Dan Meyer started the inning by reaching on shortstop U L Washington’s error. Tom Paciorek and Joe Simpson followed with singles to load the bases. One run scored when Jim Anderson grounded into a forceout at second, and Bob Stinson followed with a three-run home run, his first (and, as it turned out, only) of the season.

Kansas City got one run back in the fourth. Facing starter Glenn Abbott, Amos Otis worked a leadoff walk. One-out singles by Clint Hurdle and Darrell Porter loaded the bases. Jamie Quirk hit a sacrifice fly to score Otis, but Washington struck out to end the inning.

However, Paciorek led off the fourth with a home run, and Julio Cruz started the fifth with a single. He took second and scored on Bruce Bochte’s single. That ended Leonard’s afternoon, having allowed eight hits in 4 ⅓ innings. Reliever Marty Pattin entered and gave up a single to Meyer. Paciorek grounded into a fielder’s choice with Bochte being thrown out at home, but Simpson singled to increase the Seattle lead to 7-1.

Abbott was on cruise control, retiring 13 of 14 hitters after Porter’s single in the fourth inning. Otis broke that string with a double to start the ninth, but the next two hitters made outs. Porter singled to score Otis and Quirk followed with a single, but pinch-hitter Pete LaCock grounded out to end the game.

The loss meant the Royals could not complete a sweep of the three-game series, and they dropped to 44-29 on the season. They still held an eight-game lead over Chicago in the AL West.

George Brett watch: On the disabled list with an ankle injury. Season stats: .337/.407/.609.

Box score and play-by-play: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SEA/SEA198006290.shtml

Today’s birthdays: Harmon Killebrew (1936), Jason Rakers (1973), Shawn Sedlacek (1977), Dusty Hughes (1982), Frank Schwindel (1992)