Yadier Molina hit a bases-loaded, two-run single in the seventh inning, and Tyson Ross pitched six innings in his debut for the St. Louis Cardinals, who completed a three-game sweep of the host Kansas City Royals with an 8-2 victory Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

Ross (7-9) made his first start since Aug. 3 after being acquired off waivers from San Diego last week. He allowed two runs on four hits. The right-hander was pressed into action when originally scheduled starter Luke Weaver was scratched due to an injured right hand.

Weaver cut a finger on his pitching hand while opening an aluminum foil lid on a food container during Saturday's game. Super glue was applied, but Weaver did not heal in time to make the start.

The Cardinals loaded the bases in the seventh off Jason Hammel (2-12) and Tim Hill. They nearly took a 3-2 lead before Molina came up, but first baseman Lucas Duda threw out Greg Garcia at the plate on a grounder by Matt Carpenter.

After Kevin McCarthy replaced Hill, Molina fouled off three straight pitches but recovered and lined a changeup to center field to score Harrison Bader and Patrick Wisdom.

Molina's hit helped the Cardinals win their fifth consecutive game and improve to 17-9 since interim manager Mike Shildt took over for Mike Matheny on July 15. The Cardinals also won for the 12th time in their past 16 games, the best record in the National League in that span.

Wisdom made his major league debut and preceded Molina's hit with a game-tying single off Hammel.

Jose Martinez hit an RBI single in the third and Greg Garcia added insurance with an RBI double in the eighth. Marcell Ozuna drove in the sixth run with a double in the ninth, and Paul DeJong followed with a two-run homer off Wily Peralta.

Four Cardinals were hit by pitches, and when Tyler Webb plunked Kansas City's Jorge Bonifacio in the back with two outs in the ninth, plate umpire Adam Hamari ejected Webb.

Alex Gordon scored Kansas City's first run on a fielding error by Wisdom at first in the first inning. Lucas Duda hit an RBI single in the third as the Royals were swept by St. Louis at home for the first time since 2012 and for the 14th time this year.

Jakob Junis allowed one run on three hits in six innings but was lifted after 96 pitches. Hammel did not retire any of the four hitters he faced in the seventh.

Cardinals leadoff man Matt Carpenter went 1-for-4 and was hit by a pitch in the ninth to extend his on-base streak to 30 games. It is the longest active streak in the majors.

--Field Level Media