WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Curtis Mead’s three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning propelled the Washington Nationals to a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night at Nationals Park, before a crowd of 25,053 in a game that lasted 2 hours, 43 minutes.

The Nationals improved to 39-35, while the Royals dropped to 29-45.

Washington’s win evened the two-game series at one game apiece after the Nationals defeated the Royals 7-3 on Monday. The teams will conclude the series Wednesday afternoon.

Mead’s homer, his 11th of the season, came off Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV with one out in the seventh and turned a 4-3 Kansas City lead into a 6-4 Washington advantage. Mead drove a 1-0 pitch to center field, scoring Nasim Nuñez and Andrés Chaparro, who had reached on walks.

The blast was the decisive blow in a game that featured 20 hits—10 for each team—and three ties or lead changes.

Paxton Schultz (1-2) earned the win with a scoreless seventh inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. Gus Varland recorded his sixth save of the season, working a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout.

Lynch IV (2-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning.

Washington starter Foster Griffin turned in a strong outing, going six innings, allowing one earned run on six hits with six strikeouts and one walk. He left with the game tied 3-3.

Royals starter Daniel Lynch IV had worked five innings, allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk before being relieved.

The game unfolded with early defense and missed opportunities. After a scoreless first inning in which each team left a runner on base, Kansas City broke through in the fifth.

With one out, Tyler Tolbert singled to right field. After Kameron Misner struck out, Lane Thomas walked, putting runners at first and second. Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a line-drive single to right, scoring Tolbert and sending Thomas to third. But Jac Caglianone struck out to end the inning, limiting the damage to one run.

The Royals extended their lead in the seventh. With one out, Thomas walked again. Witt Jr. singled to center, moving Thomas to second. After Caglianone grounded out, Isaac Collins lined a single to left field, scoring both Thomas and Witt Jr., giving Kansas City a 4-3 advantage.

But Washington answered immediately in the bottom half. Nuñez walked to lead off, then James Wood grounded out, moving Nuñez to second. Chaparro walked, bringing Mead to the plate. Mead’s homer to center cleared the bases and put the Nationals ahead for good.

Kansas City mounted a threat in the ninth when Lane Thomas led off with a home run to left, his fourth of the season, cutting the deficit to 6-4. Bobby Witt Jr. walked, but Caglianone grounded into a double play and Collins struck out to end the game.

Washington had taken an early lead in the third inning. Drew Millas led off with a single to right. Nuñez then tripled to right, scoring Millas. James Wood followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Nuñez, giving the Nationals a 2-0 lead.

The Royals answered in the fifth to tie the game, but Washington regained the lead in the bottom half. Nuñez tripled to center for the second time, his third triple of the season. Wood singled to center, bringing Nuñez home and giving the Nationals a 3-2 lead.

Griffin held the Royals scoreless for three innings after that, but Kansas City’s two-run seventh briefly put them ahead.

Key performances included Nuñez, who went 2 for 2 with a walk, two triples, one RBI and three runs scored. Millas collected two hits in four at-bats. Wood drove in two runs on a sacrifice fly and a single. Mead finished 1 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs.

For Kansas City, Witt Jr. had three hits, including two singles and a walk, scoring one run. Collins drove in two runs. Thomas homered and walked twice, scoring two runs. Nick Loftin doubled in the eighth.

Defensive plays included a double play turned by the Nationals in the fourth inning, when Nuñez, shortstop CJ Abrams and first baseman Luis García Jr. combined to erase a leadoff hit-by-pitch. The Royals also turned a double play in the third inning, when Witt Jr., second baseman Nick Loftin and first baseman Caglianone snuffed a Washington threat.

Both bullpens performed effectively outside the pivotal seventh inning. Richard Lovelady worked two-thirds of an inning for Washington, allowing one hit and no earned runs. Schultz followed with his scoreless frame. Varland closed it out.

The Royals’ previous game was a 7-3 loss to the Nationals on Monday. Before that, Kansas City had won a home series against Houston, taking one of three games. Washington entered Tuesday having won three of its last four, including a 10-1 rout of Seattle on Sunday.

The Nationals’ upcoming schedule includes the series finale against Kansas City on Wednesday, followed by a three-game road series at Tampa Bay starting Friday. The Royals will also play Wednesday’s game before returning home to host St. Louis on Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Washington Nationals 5, Kansas City Royals 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Washington a 53.30 percent probability to win. Kansas City was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of 10 runs went under the over/under line of 8.