WASHINGTON (AP) — Getting a jump on the trade deadline to add talent to the back of their bullpen, the Washington Nationals picked up right-hander Kelvin Herrera from the Kansas City Royals on Monday for three minor leaguers.

The Nationals sent infielder Kelvin Gutierrez, outfielder Blake Perkins and 17-year-old pitcher Yohanse Morel to Kansas City in the deal announced during Washington’s doubleheader against the New York Yankees.

Herrera has 14 saves and a 1.05 ERA this season. He’s allowed three earned runs in 25 2/3 innings while striking out 22 batters and walking two.

“It’s just a moment you don’t want to see,” Herrera said about leaving KC. “It’s always hard. I was born and raised (as) a player here.”

The 28-year-old is a two-time AL All-Star who helped Kansas City win the 2015 World Series — and is among the last players left from that title team. He is 23-27 with 57 saves and a 2.75 ERA across 442 games in relief over eight seasons in the majors.

“We’ve known Kelvin since he signed with us when he was 16 years old. He’s one of the very best competitors that I’ve ever been around, probably that this organization has seen,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “Without him, there is no way we can ever make it to the World Series, win a World Series.”

Herrera joins lefty closer Sean Doolittle and eighth-inning righty Ryan Madson in the back of Washington’s bullpen. Brandon Kintzler, the usual seventh-inning man for Washington, went on the disabled list June 10 with a right forearm flexor strain.

Instead of waiting to make moves at the July 31 non-waiver deadline, the Nationals opted to strike now. They are the two-time reigning NL East champions but have never won a postseason series. Washington also currently stands in second place in the division, entering Monday 3 games behind the Atlanta Braves.

The Royals, meanwhile, are already way out of contention in the AL Central in last place and 22-49 going into the day. They already shipped Jon Jay to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a pair of minor leaguers earlier in June.

“We’d like to be holding onto our players longer,” Moore said, “but where we are in the standings and what we’re faced with and how we’re playing, if we can get the right move, it’s important to move.”

This is also the second time in recent years the Royals traded away a high-profile closer, after sending Wade Davis to the Chicago Cubs in December 2016.

The Nationals avoided parting with any of their highest-regarded prospects.

Kansas City said Gutierrez will head to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, Perkins will be assigned to Class A Wilmington and Morel will be sent to rookie ball.

Gutierrez is a 23-year-old third baseman who was batting .274 with five homers at Double-A Harrisburg in Washington’s system.

Perkins is a 21-year-old switch-hitter who was a second-round draft pick in 2015. He was hitting .234 at Class A Potomac.

Morel is a righty from the Dominican Republic in his first professional season.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Houston Astros keep finding ways to win, while the Kansas City Royals keep inventing ways to lose.

Carlos Correa and the Astros won their 11th straight game, finishing off a dominant 10-0 road trip by rallying past the Royals 7-4 Sunday.

The World Series champion Astros swept their swing through Texas, Oakland and Kansas City, outscoring opponents 74-35.

Last season, Houston had an 11-game winning streak end in Kansas City. This time, the Astros trailed 4-3 in the eighth inning before Correa led off with a tying homer. Evan Gattis, who had three hits, then put them ahead during a three-run burst.

“We just have a great team. It’s hard to find any holes on this team. I don’t think there are any,” Correa said.

Correa has three home runs and eight RBI in six games after missing four games with discomfort in his right side. He had a first-inning single and added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Gattis hit .366 with five home runs and 19 RBI on the Astros’ trip. He singled home Yuli Gurriel in the eighth, and Marvin Gonzalez added an RBI single in the inning.

“I take confidence in our lineup versus anybody,” Gattis said.

The Royals have lost six straight and 12 of 13. They have dropped 26 of 36 home games.

Brandon Maurer (0-3) took the loss, facing two batters and having both score. Tony Sipp (2-0) picked up the victory. Hector Rondon closed for his fourth save.

Astros right-hander Lance McCullers struck out nine over six innings, allowing two unearned runs.

“I didn’t want to blow it,” McCullers said of the winning streak.

Royals right-hander Brad Keller, a Rule 5 draft pick making his fourth start, gave up three runs in six innings.

“I felt like I did pretty well,” Keller said. “That’s a good-hitting team and they got pop, so to keep them on the ground I’m happy with that.”

Third baseman Alex Bregman’s errant throw home with the bases loaded led to the Royals scoring two unearned runs in the first to tie it at 2. Hunter Dozier hit a two-run homer in the third to give the Royals a 4-2 lead.

Brian McCann’s two-out single in the fourth scored Gattis to reduce the Royals’ lead to one.

ROYALS OUSTER

Royals DH Mike Moustakas and LHP Danny Duffy were ejected by plate umpire John Tumpane. Moustakas was ejected for words said from the dugout after he was out at home while trying to score from second on a single. A video replay upheld the call on the field. Duffy was thumbed in the sixth for his dugout verbiage. It was the Royals’ first ejections this season.

“I saw a gesture over to me. I think that was my warning,” Moustakas said. “I said something after that and that’s when he tossed me. I thought I was safe and I still think I’m safe. I think if he called me safe originally, I don’t think they can overcome that.”

Tumpane has a history with the Royals — he tossed RHP Peter Moylan last July and Moustakas and manager Ned Yost in August in Baltimore.

ATTENDANCE DROP-OFF

After 36 home games, the Royals attendance is down 212,572 from last year. They drew 958,297 for 36 home games in 2017. This year that total is 737,725.

ROSTER MOVES

The Royals recalled INF Adalberto Mondesi, who is the only player to make his big league debut in the World Series, was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. The Royals also summoned OF Rosell Herrera and RHP Wily Peralta from the Storm Chasers. They optioned RHP Scott Barlow and INF Ramon Torres to Omaha and transferred LHP Eric Skoglund to the 60-day disabled list.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 2B Whit Merrifield left in the second inning after fouling a pitch off his left knee. He has a contusion and is listed as day-to-day. Mondesi replaced him.

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP Gerrit Cole will start on Monday as they return home to face Tampa Bay. Cole is 8-1 with a 2.40 ERA.

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy, who has won one of his last 27 home starts, will start the opener of a three-game series against the Rangers on Monday. Bartolo Colon will be the Texas probable.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Evan Gattis hit a go-ahead grand slam, Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa also went deep and the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 on a balmy Friday night for their ninth consecutive win.

Charlie Morton (8-1) overcame another bout of wildness, at one point walking three straight batters, to last six innings for Houston. He allowed four hits and four walks while striking out nine.

Brad Peacock, Tony Sipp and Collin McHugh each contributed a scoreless inning in relief.

Jakob Junis (5-7) served up all three Houston homers, getting tagged for six runs on seven hits and a walk. It was his fourth straight loss, his last win coming against the New York Yankees on May 18.

All but one of the Astros’ wins during their streak has come on the road.

The Royals tried to give Junis some support early, jumping ahead 2-0 in the third on a two-out double by Mike Moustakas. It was a buoying at-bat considering the meek-hitting Kansas City lineup managed a single run in getting swept by Cincinnati during a two-game set this week.

It appeared the lead just might stand, too. Junis retired the first 13 batters he faced.

Bregman changed all that with his ninth homer of the season, a shot that just skirted the left-field foul pole. Correa added his 455-foot home run two batters later to tie the game.

Morton’s wildness allowed the Royals to regain the lead in the fifth, but Junis coughed it back up in the sixth. He gave up three straight one-out singles to load the bases for Gattis, whose 405-foot grand slam was the second of his career and third by the Astros this season.

It was also the second slam permitted by the Royals in their last two games.

ASTROS MOVES

Houston recalled 3B Tyler White from Triple-A Fresno and placed LHP Reymin Guduan on the paternity leave list. White was hitting .338 with 13 homers and a .444 on-base percentage, the second-highest in all of Triple-A. Guduan can miss no more than three games while on the paternity list.

ROYALS MOVES

Kansas City selected the contract of RHP Brandon Maurer from Triple-A Omaha and optioned RHP Jason Adam to the same club. Maurer was 0-2 with a 12.46 ERA for the Royals before he was sent outright to the minor league club on May 3. He’s worked 11 straight scoreless appearances at Omaha.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros RHP Joe Smith (elbow inflammation) rejoined the team, and manager A.J. Hinch said the reliever is “pain free and the next step is to initiate a throwing program.” That could happen by the end of the weekend.

Royals OF Jorge Soler left after stumbling out of the batter’s box in the sixth inning. He was taken for X-rays that revealed a broken left foot. Ryan Goins replaced him in the lineup.

UP NEXT

Struggling LHP Dallas Keuchel (3-8, 4.45 ERA) starts for the Astros and LHP Danny Duffy (3-6, 5.28) gets the nod for the Royals for a Saturday matinee with temperatures expected to approach triple digits.

— Associated Press —