KANSAS CITY (Interstat) — Salvador Perez homered and drove in a run, Bobby Witt Jr. homered and drove in two runs, and the Kansas City Royals erupted for six runs in the second inning and four in the fourth to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 14-6 on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium before an announced crowd of 18,363.

The game lasted 3 hours, 9 minutes.

Kansas City, which improved to 31-45, sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning to erase an early deficit and seize control. St. Louis, which fell to 40-33, had taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the first on a run-scoring fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly, but the Royals answered emphatically.

Perez doubled to lead off the second, and Carter Jensen doubled him home. Isaac Collins doubled in Jensen, and after a fielding error by left fielder Nelson Velázquez allowed Collins to score, Lane Thomas doubled to drive in Michael Massey. Witt singled to score Thomas, and Starling Marte doubled to score Witt, giving the Royals a 7-2 advantage.

St. Louis chipped away with a run in the fourth on a single by Jordan Walker, but Kansas City answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Jac Caglianone hit a two-run homer, and Nick Loftin doubled to drive in two more, extending the lead to 11-3.

The Cardinals scored once in the fifth on a single by José Fermín, but Perez homered in the sixth to make it 12-4. St. Louis pushed two runs across in the seventh on a groundout and a sacrifice fly, but Kansas City added single runs in the seventh and eighth.

Noah Cameron earned the win for Kansas City, allowing three earned runs on eight hits over five innings while striking out six. He improved to 4-4. Matthew Liberatore took the loss for St. Louis, falling to 3-4.

Perez finished three for five with a homer and one RBI. Witt went two for two with a homer and two RBIs. Jensen was two for five with one RBI. Loftin was two for five with two RBIs. Beck Way pitched two scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits and striking out two. Thomas was two for five with two RBIs. Caglianone was one for five with a homer and two RBIs. Collins was two for five with one RBI.

For St. Louis, Justin Bruihl pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief, allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out two.

St. Louis collected 13 hits, including two each by JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, Blaze Jordan and José Fermín. The Cardinals made two sacrifice flies and were hurt by a fielding error in the second inning that allowed an unearned run.

Kansas City pounded out 17 hits, with seven players recording multiple hits. The Royals also committed one error, a fielding miscue by Witt in the first inning that contributed to St. Louis’s two-run first.

The Cardinals had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Wetherholt singled, Iván Herrera walked, and after Witt’s error on a fielder’s choice allowed Wetherholt to score, Alec Burleson lifted a sacrifice fly to plate Herrera. Witt atoned with a solo homer in the bottom of the first, cutting the lead to 2-1.

The game turned decisively in Kansas City’s favor during the six-run second. The Royals strung together five hits and took advantage of the Velázquez error. St. Louis pitchers combined for 19 strikes, 64 balls and 19 balls in play. Kansas City pitchers recorded 10 strikes, 53 balls and 10 balls in play.

St. Louis had won three of its previous four games coming into the contest, including a 3-0 shutout of San Diego on Monday and a 3-2 win Tuesday. The Cardinals had split a two-game series at Minnesota last weekend and had taken two of three from Kansas City in May at Busch Stadium.

Kansas City entered the game having lost five of its previous six, including a 6-2 win at Washington on Wednesday that snapped a four-game skid. The Royals had dropped 10 of their last 14.

The teams will meet again Friday night at Kauffman Stadium, the second of a three-game weekend series. St. Louis then returns home to face Arizona, while Kansas City travels to Tampa Bay.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of St. Louis 7, Kansas City 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave St. Louis a 52.40 percent probability to win. St. Louis was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 20 went under the over-under line of 8.5.