Mahle (2-9) took the loss Tuesday against the Royals, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings.
Mahle surrendered a solo homer to Carter Jensen in the third inning to open the scoring, though it was just the second home run he has allowed over his last 26.1 innings. He kept Kansas City in check after that but ran into trouble in the sixth, issuing a walk and hitting a batter before exiting the game. Sam Hentges and Keaton Winn were unable to strand the inherited runners, inflating Mahle's line. The veteran right-hander has completed six innings just once over his last 11 starts -- his final outing before the All-Star break -- and owns a 5.36 ERA during that stretch. Mahle is projected to make his next start at home against a difficult Brewers lineup.