Salvador Perez only needed two pitches to send both his home runs toward the fountains, including the game winner in Wednesday night’s 4-3 Kansas City Royals victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, sweeping the interleague series at Kauffman Stadium.

Perez hit his first home run to lead off the second inning, taking the first pitch from Bailey Falter 444 feet to center field. The Royals would rely entirely on the long ball for their runs, as Jac Caglianone brought Maikel Garcia home from third in the fourth inning by way of a two-run blast to center field, which measured a Royal rookie-record 464 feet. Pittsburgh knotted the game up in the sixth, with Oneil Cruz grounding out in the sixth inning but scoring Tommy Pham while advancing the other two base runners. Those base runners would come home on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ single to left field. The game would stay tied until Isaac Mattson’s first pitch of the eighth inning, which Perez crushed 426 feet to center field for the game winner.

Both the Royals and Pirates add additional chances to plate runners, but crucial strikeouts kept the game close for both teams. Andrew McCutchen struck out with two runners on and one out in the third, while Kyle Isbel stranded runners in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth when reliever Braxton Ashcraft got him to swing. The Pirates left six on base while the Royals stranded nine.

Lucas Erceg pitched a scoreless eighth inning, including a punchout, to record his fourth save of the year, while Mattson took the loss. Royals starter Kris Bubic was charged with the three runs in the sixth, going five-and-two-thirds innings and allowing six hits and two walks, while striking out six.

The sweep of the Buccos has Kansas City tied for second in the AL Central with a 46-48 record, 13 games behind Detroit and three behind Boston and Seattle for the third wild card spot. After an off-day Thursday, the Royals prepare to host the New York Mets to wrap up the first half of the season. Michael Wacha will get the start Friday evening, with first pitch at 7:10 p.m. Pregame will be at 6:30 p.m. on KMMO-FM 102.9.