MLB: Kansas City 8, Seattle 7

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KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 18 (UPI) -- Billy Butler hit a leadoff homer in the ninth inning Friday that lifted the Kansas City Royals to a wild 8-7 victory over Seattle.

The Mariners trailed by four after five innings, but came back to tie it before Butler's homer halted the Royals' three-game skid. Seattle had won back-to-back games.

The teams combined for 28 hits -- 14 each.

Lorenzo Cain's two-run homer in the fifth gave Kansas City a 7-3 cushion, but the Mariners tied it during the next two innings. Jesus Montero doubled home two runs in the Seattle seventh and came in with the tying score on a double by Kyle Seager.

Josh Kinney (0-1), making his fourth appearance of the season, recorded the final out of the eighth inning only to have Butler hit his third pitch of the ninth over the wall in center field.

Butler's homer made a winner out of Greg Holland (4-2), who worked a perfect top of the ninth.