By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Austin Gomber tossed six innings of four-hit ball in a crucial spot start, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-0 victory over Brady Singer and the Kansas City Royals. The Cardinals still trail the Chicago Cubs by 3 1/2 games in the NL Central, but they improved to 27-25 and edged ahead of Milwaukee and Cincinnati for the No. 2 spot in the division. Dylan Carlson paced the St. Louis offense by driving in two runs while finishing a homer shy of the cycle. Singer walked five in three-plus innings while taking the loss for Kansas City.