Daniel Vogelbach belted two home runs and drove in five runs to lift the host Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
The Brewers (26-26) kept their playoff hopes on pace after completing a three-game sweep of the Royals (21-32). They scored 16 of their 19 runs in the series on home runs, including a grand slam and a trio of three-run shots.
The Brewers entered Sunday's action in a three-way tie with Cincinnati and San Francisco, and a game behind St. Louis, for the seventh and eighth National League playoff spots. They'll finish their season on the road, with three games at Cincinnati and then five games at St. Louis.
The Royals could help the Brewers' chances. They head home for their final two series, a three-game series against the Cardinals followed by a four-game set versus Detroit.
Josh Lindblom (2-3) picked up the win after surrendering one run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked none.
Josh Hader recorded the final out to pick up his 10th save in 12 chances.
Vogelbach's homers are the only two allowed by Brad Keller (4-3) this season in 48 2/3 innings. Keller has allowed four extra-base hits in 194 opponents' plate appearances this season. He gave up five runs on five hits and three walks in five innings.
Vogelbach put the Brewers on the board in the first inning with a two-run home run that traveled 429 feet.
The Royals scored in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Whit Merrifield. Erick Mejia scored after leading off the inning with a double. It snapped a 14-inning scoreless streak for Kansas City.
But Keller, who had retired 10 straight batters entering the sixth, gave up back-to-back singles to set the stage for Vogelbach's three-run blast .
Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer in the ninth to cut the lead to 5-3.
In possibly his last home game in Milwaukee, Ryan Braun finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
--Field Level Media
