Associated Press

Wily Mo Pena hit his first major league home run in nearly three years, Joe Saunders pitched seven strong innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Kansas City Royals 7-2 Tuesday night.

Pena, just promoted from Triple-A Reno where he topped the Pacific Coast League with 21 home runs, hit a towering shot to right-center with two out in the fifth to tie the score 1-1. Pena’s previous home run was June 24, 2008, while with the Washington Nationals.

Saunders (4-7), who started the season 0-5, picked up his fourth victory in six starts. He held the Royals to six hits and two runs over seven innings, his 10th consecutive start pitching at least six innings.

Chris Young padded the Diamondbacks’ lead with his 15th home run in the eighth after Stephen Drew walked.

Luke Hochevar (4-8) picked up the loss and is 1-5 in his past eight starts. Hochevar, the first pick in the 2006 draft, yielded five runs on eight hits. He struck out six and walked one in seven innings, with his earned run average climbing to 4.97.

The Diamondbacks scored three runs in the seventh. Gerardo Parra stroked a two-run triple to right and scored on Ryan Roberts’ ground out. The Diamondbacks took the lead in the sixth when Justin Upton’s double scored Kelly Johnson, who had a bunt single.

Alex Gordon led the Royals with three hits, needing only a single for the cycle, and drove in both runs. He led off the game with a home run and his triple in the seventh scored Alcides Escobar, who had walked.