Kansas City Royals News

Salvador Perez knocks in 3 as Royals double up Mariners

Salvador Perez knocks in 3 as Royals double up Mariners

Salvador Perez went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs as the Kansas City Royals defeated the host Seattle Mariners 6-3 on Tuesday.

Five Royals combined for 4 1/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief as Kansas City won for just the second time in the past 10 games. Lucas Erceg (3-2) got the victory after quelling a seventh-inning jam, and Carlos Estevez worked a perfect ninth for his 23rd save.

Randy Arozarena homered for the Mariners, his third in the first two games of the four-game series. Seattle took the opener 6-2 on Monday.

The Royals scored once in the first inning on Tuesday and twice in the second off Seattle right-hander Emerson Hancock (3-5).

Jonathan India led off the game with a ground-rule double to right-center field and scored on Maikel Garcia's two-out single to center.

Rookie Jac Caglianone drew a leadoff walk in the second and scored on Nick Loftin's double to left. John Rave lined a single to right to move Loftin to third, Kyle Isbel's RBI forceout made it 3-0.

Jorge Polanco led off the bottom of the second with a single but was picked off by Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen. Arozarena then hit a solo shot into the Mariners' bullpen in left-center.

The Royals added two more runs in the fifth. Bobby Witt Jr. reached on an infield single and Vinnie Pasquantino doubled to left-center, the ball just eluding diving center fielder Julio Rodriguez. An out later, Perez laced a two-run double off the wall in right-center, on a ball Rodriguez misplayed, to increase the lead to 5-1.

With the exception of Arozarena's homer, Lorenzen cruised through the first four innings, but he couldn't make it through the fifth to qualify for the victory.

Luke Raley led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to center and took third on a groundout. Ben Williamson hit a double down the right field line to score Raley, and with two outs, J.P. Crawford blooped a single to left to make it 5-3.

With Rodriguez coming to the plate, the Royals turned to John Schreiber, who got the Seattle star to line out to right to end the inning.

Lorenzen gave up three runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings, with no walks and five strikeouts. Hancock permitted five runs on seven hits over five innings, with three walks and one strikeout.

The Royals scored their final run in the ninth, spoiling the major league debut of Seattle right-hander Juan Burgos. Witt doubled with one out, stole third and scored on Perez's broken-bat single to center with two outs.

Randy Arozarena's two homers lead Mariners past Royals

Randy Arozarena's two homers lead Mariners past Royals

Randy Arozarena hit two homers and drove in four runs and Cal Raleigh went deep for the major-league-leading 33rd time this season as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Monday.

Mariners starter George Kirby (2-4) allowed one run on three hits over six innings as the Mariners earned their second victory in a row and their sixth in the past nine games. The right-hander didn't walk a batter and struck out five.

The Royals lost for the eighth time in nine games.

Kansas City starter Michael Wacha (4-8) cruised through the first 3 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on one hit, before Arozarena went deep to right-center to tie the score at 1-all.

The Mariners broke the tie with four runs in the fifth. Cole Young, J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodriguez began the inning with singles to load the bases. Raleigh gave Seattle the lead with a sacrifice fly to right before Arozarena hit a three-run shot to center to make it 5-1.

Wacha went five innings and allowed five runs on eight hits, with two walks and one strikeout.

Raleigh added to the Mariners' lead with a blast to center leading off the bottom of the seventh against Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV.

Bobby Witt Jr. drove in both runs for the Royals, who have scored just 20 runs over their past nine games -- with nine of those coming in their lone victory in that span.

Kansas City scored its first run with a two-out rally in the third inning. Kyle Isbel and Johnathan India singled before Witt hit a liner off the glove of diving second baseman Cole Young to plate Isbel.

The Royals added a run in the eighth off Trent Thornton after loading the bases with one out as John Rave singled, Isbel walked and India was hit by a pitch. Rave scored as Witt grounded into a forceout.

Dodgers win sixth straight series, extend Royals' misery

Dodgers win sixth straight series, extend Royals' misery

Justin Wrobleski threw six shutout innings in a bulk role out of the bullpen, while Enrique Hernandez and Will Smith each homered as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Sunday.

After opener Lou Trivino allowed a run on the first two Kansas City batters of the game, Wrobleski (4-2) came on in the second inning and yielded three hits with a walk and struck out six until Kirby Yates took over in the eighth.

Hernandez's two-run homer in the second put the Dodgers ahead for good and paved the way for a sixth consecutive winning series.

After pounding out 14 hits during Saturday's 9-5 win that snapped their 11-game home losing streak, the Royals wasted no time staying hot at the plate. Jonathan India opened the bottom of the first with a single off Trivino, then went to second on a wild pitch. Shortly after, Bobby Witt Jr. doubled off the left field wall for a 1-0 Kansas City lead.

However, that was all the offense the Royals could muster while totaling just five hits and striking out 10 times against four Dodgers pitchers Sunday.

Kris Bubic (6-6) allowed two runs, two walks and three hits and fanned five while laboring through 90 pitches over five innings for Kansas City, which has dropped seven of the last eight overall and went 1-12 at home in the month of June.

The Dodgers made Bubic work early on, as he threw 56 pitches through the first two innings. In the second, Andy Pages (two hits) singled and eventually scored on Hernandez's homer over the left-center-field wall that put Los Angeles ahead 2-1.

The visitors added another run when Smith barely cleared the center field wall against Steven Cruz in the sixth. Los Angeles plated two more in the seventh via an RBI double from Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas' run-scoring single.

Los Angeles has won 12 of the last 15.

The start of this contest was delayed a little more than an hour due to rain.

Royals top Dodgers to snap 11-game home skid

Royals top Dodgers to snap 11-game home skid

Kansas City's offense woke up after Shohei Ohtani exited from tossing two scoreless innings and the Royals snapped their 11-game home losing streak with Saturday's 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Vinnie Pasquantino led Kansas City with a three-run homer and five RBIs. Bobby Witt Jr. and Jonathan India each had four hits for the Royals, who scored one more run than they did while losing their previous six games overall.

Meanwhile, Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (5-5) allowed four hits and five walks while striking out eight over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Daniel Lynch IV yielded a solo homer to Freddie Freeman, who had three hits, in the seventh, but the potent Dodgers did not threaten until a four-run ninth.

After going an inning in each of his first two 2025 starts, Ohtani was stretched to two innings Saturday. He allowed a first-inning single to Witt and walked Maikel Garcia but got Pasquantino to hit into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play. The right-hander then retired the side in the second, completing his 27-pitch performance.

As he had done in Ohtani's first two starts, Ben Casparius (6-2) came on in the third, and the Royals wasted no time getting to the right-hander. He walked Drew Waters, allowed a two-out single to India, followed by Witt's flare double near the right-field line. Then Garcia sent a drive off the top of the left-field wall, just over the glove of a leaping Michael Conforto, for a two-run double.

The Royals broke things open in the fifth against Casparius. Kyle Isbel rapped a one-out hit and advanced to second base on center-fielder Andy Pages' error. He then scored on an India single. After Witt singled and Garcia lined out, Pasquantino found the right-center field fan area for his first homer at home since May 16, giving Kansas City a 6-0 lead.

Pasquantino doubled down the right-field line in the seventh, scoring two more. He then came home on Salvador Perez's two-base hit.

Ohtani went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts at the plate.

Dodgers hand Royals record-tying 11th straight home loss

Dodgers hand Royals record-tying 11th straight home loss

Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer and added a tying-RBI triple, as the Los Angeles Dodgers won their fifth straight, edging the host Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Friday night.

The Royals matched a club-record 11-game home losing streak.

Ohtani sent an enticing 1-2 changeup from Noah Cameron (2-4) into the right-field fountains for his 29th homer -- and 12th in 28 games against the Royals.

However, Kansas City led 4-3 entering the fifth, when Ohtani victimized Cameron, again. After Enrique Hernandez walked to open the inning, Ohtani found the right-field gap for a triple that evened the contest. Steven Cruz entered and promptly gave up an RBI single to Mookie Betts -- the Dodgers' fourth and final hit, but enough for their ninth win in 11 games.

The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Tanner Scott (18 saves), who got rookie Jac Caglianone to ground into a first-pitch 4-6-3 game-ending double play, capped by Freddie Freeman's stellar pick at first base.

Kansas City is 0-11 at home in June, equaling the team's longest such slide set in 2023. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a two-run homer and Kyle Isbel doubled twice, but the Royals dropped their sixth straight overall.

Down 1-0, Kansas City answered in the bottom of the first. Maikel Garcia roped a two-out double and eventually scored on Salvador Perez's single to left.

The Dodgers regained the lead with their own two-out magic in the second. With a man on, Max Muncy jumped on another Cameron pitch that went over the center-field wall for a 3-1 edge.

The Royals further made Los Angeles starter Dustin May work in the bottom of the second. John Rave walked, stole second, went to third on Freddy Fermin's grounder and scored on Isbel's double that right-fielder Teoscar Hernandez appeared to misread.

Witt followed by clearing the left-center field wall to put Kansas City ahead by one.

Cameron yielded just three hits, but three walks and all five runs over a career-low four-plus innings in his ninth start.

May, meanwhile, lasted four, allowing those four runs and six hits. Lou Trivino (3-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the win.

Shane Baz dominates as Rays blank Royals again

Shane Baz dominates as Rays blank Royals again

Shane Baz did not allow a run over a career-high eight innings to lead the visiting Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday to complete a three-game sweep.

Baz (8-3) gave up a double to the Royals' Jonathan India to begin his outing then retired the next 19 batters he faced as Kansas City's offensive struggles continued.

Baz, who entered Thursday with a 4.79 ERA, allowed three hits and a walk with nine strikeouts to earn his fifth straight win without a loss over his last seven starts.

Kansas City was shut out for the second straight game and saw their losing streak reach five games. The Royals have scored only four total runs during the skid.

India and Vinnie Pasquantino both went 2-for-4 for Kansas City.

Josh Lowe went 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Brandon Lowe extended his hitting streak to 13 games as the Rays won for the fifth time in their last six games.

Royals starter Michael Lorenzen (4-8) allowed just one Rays batter to reach base during the first three innings. Tampa Bay was finally able to put some offense together after Lorenzen retired the first two batters he faced in the fourth.

Jonathan Aranda laced a double to the right-center gap and scored on Jake Mangum's triple to nearly the same location. Josh Lowe followed with a single up the middle to make it 2-0.

Brandon Lowe and Junior Caminero hit back-to-back home runs off Lorenzen to start the sixth. Lowe's homer gave him his second 13-game hitting streak of the season.

Lorenzen went 5 2/3 innings and gave up eight hits to go with the four runs. He struck out four and walked none.

Baz cruised into the seventh inning until Pasquantino's one-out infield single to third base. Maikel Garcia followed with another single, but Baz escaped by getting Nick Loftin to ground into a double play.

India singled off Paul Gervase to start the ninth, and one out later Pasquantino bunted for a single. Pete Fairbanks entered and got Garcia to ground into a double play for his 15th save.

Drew Rasmussen, Rays blank Royals, extend K.C.'s home skid

Drew Rasmussen, Rays blank Royals, extend K.C.'s home skid

Drew Rasmussen and four Tampa Bay relievers held reeling Kansas City to just three hits as the Rays sent the Royals to a ninth consecutive home defeat with a 3-0 decision on Wednesday.

Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe and Chandler Simpson each had two hits for the Rays, whose 11 hits were all singles. Tampa Bay has won five straight road games and 24 of its past 33 contests overall.

Rasmussen (7-5) yielded two hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings. Kevin Kelly, Garrett Cleavinger, Edwin Uceta and Pete Fairbanks (14th save) further stymied the Royals, who have managed just one run in the first two games of the current three-game set.

Kansas City has been outscored 39-12 while 0-9 at home in June. The Royals are on their longest home losing streak since a 10-game slide in 2023.

Tampa Bay did all its scoring in the second against Michael Wacha (4-7), who yielded three runs on nine hits and one walk while fanning nine in six innings. Bobby Witt Jr. doubled and Maikel Garica and Vinnie Pasquantino singled for the Royals, who are 14-26 since sitting at 24-16 through May 9.

In the decisive second inning, Christopher Morel reached on a one-out infield single, went to third on Josh Lowe's hit to right field and scored via a perfectly placed bunt toward first base by Jose Caballero.

The speedy Simpson then reached when Kansas City shortstop Witt was late on the throw to first of his grounder -- where it appeared he could have tossed to third for a forceout. Lowe then scored on a wild pitch, and Caballero came home via Danny Jansen's sacrifice bunt.

Fairbanks pitched around an error in the ninth inning to seal the victory.

Double-digit-game hitting streaks were extended by Tampa Bay's Yandy Diaz (15 games), Brandon Lowe (12) and Jonathan Aranda (10).

Meanwhile, the Royals were shut out for the fourth time in their past nine home contests.

The Rays have won four of five overall while the Royals have dropped four in a row.

Danny Jansen's HR backs Taj Bradley gem as Rays top Royals

Danny Jansen's HR backs Taj Bradley gem as Rays top Royals

Taj Bradley retired the first 16 batters he faced and yielded two hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings, while Danny Jansen clubbed a two-run homer and had three RBIs as the Tampa Bay Rays kept the Kansas City Royals winless at home in June with Tuesday night's 5-1 victory.

Bradley (5-5) rolled until walking John Rave with one out in the sixth. Then, after a Kyle Isbel flyout, Jonathan India laced a ground-rule double down to right field. However, Bradley retired Bobby Witt Jr. on an inning-ending lineout to left.

The right-hander, who exited after giving up a two-out single to Salvador Perez in the seventh, had allowed 19 runs -- 13 earned -- in his previous three starts. Including six earned over 1 1/3 innings at Baltimore last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Jansen provided the punch, and Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda each had three hits for the Rays, who are amid a 23-9 stretch.

Kansas City's Kris Bubic (6-5) allowed four runs -- two earned - on eight hits and didn't yield a walk while striking out eight through six innings. The left-hander, who had a 1.43 ERA as recently as June 10, has given up 10 earned runs over 15 2/3 innings in his last three starts.

The Royals, who got a two-out, ninth-inning RBI single from Vinnie Pasquantino to account for their only run, managed four hits and have been outscored 36-12 in eight winless games at home since a 1-0 victory over Detroit on May 31.

Bubic got the first two batters of the second inning, then allowed a single to Jose Caballero. Jansen followed by clearing the left-field fence for a 2-0 Rays lead.

Tampa Bay made it 3-0 in the fourth. Aranda opened with a single, went to third on third baseman Maikel Garcia's throwing error to second base on a double-play attempt off Jake Mangum's grounder, then scored on Jansen's sacrifice fly.

The Rays added on in the fifth via more poor defense by the Royals. Diaz reached on an infield hit, went to second when Curtis Mead singled and eventually scored on Bubic's poor toss to first base off Aranda's short tapper.

Jose Iglesias the hero as Padres escape Royals

Jose Iglesias the hero as Padres escape Royals

Jose Iglesias' RBI infield single in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday lifted the San Diego Padres to a 3-2 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals.

Luis Arraez started the winning rally with a leadoff single off Daniel Lynch IV (3-2) and Xander Bogaerts lined a one-out double to left-center to push Arraez to third. Kansas City inserted John Schneider to face Iglesias but he slapped an 0-2 pitch up the middle. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. gloved it but his off-balance throw home wasn't in time.

Robert Suarez (2-3) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win, getting help from his defense. Freddy Fermin ripped a two-out double to right-center after Drew Waters walked. But Waters was called out at home for running out of the baseline after missing the plate as he dove to avoid the tag of catcher Elias Diaz.

Iglesias pinch-hit in the seventh inning and tied the game on a two-run single to right. That hit no-decisioned both starters after strong outings.

Kansas City's Seth Lugo allowed just two hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings with no walks and seven strikeouts, while San Diego's Randy Vasquez pitched a season-high seven innings, yielding five hits and two runs with two walks and two strikeouts.

The first 6 1/2 innings were dominated completely by pitching, except for a mistake in the top of the sixth by Vasquez. After Vinnie Pasquantino's one-out single, Salvador Perez pounced on a cutter that drifted over the middle. He yanked it an estimated 412 feet over the wall in left-center, his ninth homer.

Lugo mowed down 18 straight hitters after Fernando Tatis Jr. slapped a leadoff single in the first. But the Padres got a leadoff double from Jackson Merrill in the seventh, then tied it against the Royals' bullpen.

Angel Zerpa issued two-out walks to Gavin Sheets and Bogaerts to fill the bases. After Iglesias was announced as a pinch-hitter for Jake Cronenworth, Kansas City lifted Zerpa for Lucas Erceg. But Iglesias poked an 0-2 pitch to right to score Merrill and Sheets, evening the score at 2.

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s HR backs Dylan Cease as Padres top Royals

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s HR backs Dylan Cease as Padres top Royals

Fernando Tatis Jr. broke open a close game Saturday with a three-run homer and the San Diego Padres evened their weekend series vs. the visiting Kansas City Royals, earning a 5-1 win.

Tatis broke a streak of 101 plate appearances without a homer, dating back to May 27, by lining a Taylor Clarke fastball an estimated 380 feet into the seats in left-center field with two outs. It was his 14th homer of the year, scoring Jose Iglesias and Bryce Johnson, who singled with one out.

Dylan Cease (3-6) picked up the win, allowing just three hits and a run in 6 2/3 innings, with three walks and four strikeouts. Noah Cameron (2-3) absorbed the loss, permitting two runs on five hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings while whiffing two.

San Diego initiated the scoring in the second. Gavin Sheets led off with a double to the wall in left-center and reached third on Xander Bogaerts' single. Jake Cronenworth then hit into a fielder's choice that scored Sheets.

The Royals tied it in the third when Drew Waters led off with a single and scored on John Rave's double to right-center. But they failed to capitalize on a chance for a bigger inning. Maikel Garcia drew a two-out walk, but Vinnie Pasquantino grounded out to second, stranding men at second and third.

The Padres countered in their half of the third. After Martin Maldonado and Tatis worked one-out walks, Luis Arraez poked a single into center that scored Maldonado, putting them ahead for good.

Kansas City missed on a good opportunity in the fourth when Jac Caglianone was clipped by a pitch with one out and Mark Canha singled. But Waters lined out and Rave flied out, starting a stretch that saw Cease retire 10 of the last 11 men he faced before Jeremiah Estrada relieved him in the seventh.

Bogaerts finished with two hits, giving him 10 hits in his last 12 at-bats dating back to Wednesday night. He was the only player in the game with multiple hits.

Royals score late, hold off Padres

Royals score late, hold off Padres

Salvador Perez's RBI single snapped a 4-4 tie in the top of the eighth inning Friday night and the visiting Kansas City Royals stopped the San Diego Padres 6-5.

Perez's hit knocked in Maikel Garcia, who opened the inning with a single off Jason Adam (5-3) and reached scoring position via Vinnie Pasquantino's walk. Drew Waters tacked on insurance later in the inning with a two-out single that plated pinch runner John Rave.

Reliever Lucas Erceg (2-2) got the win despite allowing a game-tying two-run single by Gavin Sheets in the bottom of the seventh that capped San Diego's rally from a 4-0 deficit. Steven Cruz pitched a scoreless eighth and Carlos Estevez worked the ninth for his MLB-high 22nd save in 25 chances despite giving up a leadoff homer to Manny Machado, his 12th of the year.

Sheets' hit no-decisioned both starters. Kansas City's Michael Lorenzen went the first 5 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and two runs with three walks and four strikeouts. Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta lasted 4 2/3 innings, permitting six hits and four runs while walking two and whiffing three.

Coming off a two-hitter over seven innings Sunday in an 8-2 win at Arizona, Pivetta ran into instant trouble. He hung a curve to Bobby Witt Jr. with one out in the first and Witt blasted it into the seats in left for his 10th homer.

Pivetta was able to keep the Royals in check until the fifth. After walks to Freddy Fermin and Nick Loftin, Kyle Isbel bunted them over. Jonathan India cashed them in by cracking a three-run homer to left-center, his fourth.

Luis Arraez got San Diego on the board in its half of the fifth by stroking a two-out RBI single to right-center that scored Trenton Brooks. Pinch hitter Jose Iglesias made it 4-2 in the sixth by poking a run-scoring single to right that plated Xander Bogaerts.

Bogaerts finished with three hits, giving him eight straight hits, dating back to Wednesday. The streak ended when he popped out in the ninth.

Garcia bagged three hits for Kansas City.

Jac Caglianone hits first 2 career homers as Royals beat Rangers

Jac Caglianone hits first 2 career homers as Royals beat Rangers

Rookie Jac Caglianone homered twice and Vinnie Pasquantino also went deep to back the three-hit pitching of Michael Wacha and three relievers as the Kansas City Royals swept past the Texas Rangers 4-1 on Thursday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.

The Royals won all three games of the set, producing their first series sweep since capturing all four games at home against the Chicago White Sox on May 5-8.

Wacha (4-6) went six innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out five. Wacha worked out of a two-on, no-out jam in the fifth and didn't give up a hit until Wyatt Langford's one-out single in the sixth.

Carlos Estevez pitched the ninth inning for Kansas City to earn his second save of the series and his 21st of the season.

It was a planned bullpen game for the Rangers, who are working with a shortened rotation with both Nathan Eovaldi and Tyler Mahle on the shelf with injuries. Shawn Armstrong (2-2) started for Texas, allowing two runs on Pasquantino's homer in the first before being lifted in place of Jacob Latz.

The Royals set the tone early as Pasquantino ripped a two-out, two-run home run over the right field fence in the first inning to build a 2-0 lead. Much ballyhooed prospect Caglianone added a solo shot off Latz in the second inning for his first career home run, expanding the advantage to 3-0.

Texas culled its deficit to 3-1 when Langford raced home on a two-out double by Marcus Semien in the sixth. Wacha was able to wiggle off the hook by getting Adolis Garcia to fly out to end the frame on his 97th pitch of the game, his second most of the season.

Caglianone added another solo home run in the ninth off Robert Garcia to provide the Royals an insurance run.

Maikel Garcia's 4 RBIs guide Royals past Rangers

Maikel Garcia's 4 RBIs guide Royals past Rangers

Maikel Garcia had a three-run home run and a clutch RBI triple to help the visiting Kansas City Royals to a 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.

The Royals, who carried a six-game losing streak into this three-game set, have taken the first two games to clinch their first series victory since winning two of three May 16-18 in San Francisco.

Kansas City's Kris Bubic (6-4) bounced back from his worst performance of the season by allowing three runs while scattering nine hits. Bubic walked one batter and struck out six before leaving with one out in the sixth.

Carlos Estevez, the fifth Kansas City pitcher, threw a perfect ninth inning to earn his 20th save. Garcia added a single and two runs to pace the Royals' seven-hit attack.

Rangers starter Patrick Corbin (4-6) allowed a season-high four runs on six hits and two walks over five innings while striking out four. The outing snapped his career-high streak of giving up three or fewer runs at 12 starts.

The Rangers, who entered this series on a four-game winning streak, lost despite racking up 12 hits. Sam Haggerty and Wyatt Langford had three hits each and Adolis Garcia added two.

Texas jumped to the front in the first as Haggerty opened the inning with a triple and scored on Langford's double. Langford sprinted home on Adolis Garcia's two-out single to stake Corbin to a 2-0 advantage.

That held up until the Royals leapfrogged in front in the third. Kyle Isbel scored on a single by Jonathan India and Bobby Witt Jr.'s single to left field put runners on the corners. Maikel Garcia then launched a three-run homer to left-center to put Kansas City up 4-2.

The Rangers cut into the margin in the fourth as Josh Jung and Jake Burger stroked back-to-back doubles.

Kansas City added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth off reliever Hoby Milner. Witt opened the inning with a walk, went to second on a passed ball by Kyle Higashioka and scored on Garcia's triple. Garcia scooted home on John Rave's safety squeeze when Higashioka couldn't handle Milner's throw to the plate.

Royals' Cole Ragans told to rest for four weeks

Royals' Cole Ragans told to rest for four weeks

Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro announced Wednesday that All-Star starting pitcher Cole Ragans won't throw for four weeks in an effort to calm his mild rotator cuff strain.

"No surgery," Quatraro told reporters. "No injection. Just rest."

Ragans, who was placed on the 15-day injured list June 11, has not pitched since June 5. If he fulfills the Royals' plan for four weeks of rest since his last outing, then the earliest the 27-year-old left-hander will resume throwing is July 4.

After earning 2024 All-Star Game recognition to highlight his 11-9 season and 3.14 ERA, Ragans has fashioned a 2-3 record with a 5.18 ERA in 10 starts this year.

While those statistics suggest Ragans has struggled, he's averaging 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings, which leads all MLB starters. According to Baseball Savant, Ragans' strong peripheral numbers give him an expected ERA of 2.61 while his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) is 2.19.

Salvador Perez (2 HRs), Royals top Rangers to end skid

Salvador Perez (2 HRs), Royals top Rangers to end skid

Salvador Perez homered twice and added a double to drive in another run as the Kansas City Royals snapped a six-game losing streak, defeating the Texas Rangers 6-1 on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.

Kansas City amassed just 11 runs over its six-game swoon (all at home) but were aggressive -- and successful -- swingers from the start on Tuesday.

Seth Lugo (4-5) allowed one run on three scattered hits and a walk and two hit batsmen in six innings for the Royals. He struck out a season-high nine, including three in the sixth, when the Rangers threatened.

Texas' Jack Leiter (4-4) went 5 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits (both matching season worsts) while walking two and striking out four. Leiter is 1-2 over his past six starts.

The Rangers had a four-game winning streak snapped. Texas had five total hits off four Royals pitchers, with Corey Seager leading the way with two hits and a run.

The Royals struck in their first at-bat, building a 3-0 lead. Bobby Witt Jr. started the surge with a one-out double to left field and sprinted home on a high-bouncing single by Maikel Garcia. After a flyout, Perez ripped a two-run home run to right field and put Texas in an early hole.

Kansas City added to its advantage in the fourth as Vinnie Pasquantino walked, stole second and came across on Perez's ringing double to the right-center-field gap.

The Rangers cut into their deficit in the bottom of the fourth when Seager doubled and scored on a two-out single to right field by Alejandro Osuna. Kansas City swung back in its next at-bat, with Witt scorching a two-out solo homer into the third row of stands above left field to push the margin back to four.

Perez led off the sixth off Leiter by smashing a ball into the left field stands, pushing him past Kansas City Hall of Famer George Brett for the team record for games with multiple home runs (18).

Nick Kurtz, Athletics prolong Royals' losing streak

Nick Kurtz, Athletics prolong Royals' losing streak

Nick Kurtz's solo home run in the top of the ninth broke a tie and gave the Athletics a 3-2 win over the host Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

The Athletics, who swept the three-game series, also got a home run from Austin Wynns. Kurtz was 2-for-4 and Brent Rooker was 2-for-3.

The Royals lost their sixth straight and have only scored 11 runs in those games, despite a players-only, closed door meeting after Saturday's 4-0 loss. Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino were each 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Kurtz, leading off the inning, lined closer Carlos Estevez's 1-2 four-seam fastball over the right-centerfield fence an estimated 411 feet for Kurtz's sixth homer. It was the first home run given up by Estevez in 30 2/3 innings this season. Estevez (2-2) was the loser.

Tyler Ferguson (2-2) got the win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, in which he struck out two. Mason Miller pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs gave up two runs on seven hits in six innings, didn't walk a batter and struck out two.

Kansas City starter Noah Cameron did not allow a run on four hits in five innings, walking one and striking out seven.

Royals reliever Lucas Erceg retired Jacob Wilson on a groundout with runners on first and second to end the top of the seventh.

Wynns' two-run homer in the sixth tied the game 2-2. With one out, he drove reliever John Schreiber's first-pitch sinker an estimated 429 feet over the left-centerfield fence. It was Wynns' fifth home run.

The Royals took a 2-0 lead in the third on an RBI double by Witt Jr. and Pasquantino's run-scoring single.

Cameron's first 1-2-3 inning came in the fourth.

He got out of a two-on, two-out jam in the second by striking out Denzel Clarke.

After Rooker's two-out double in the third, Cameron once again got a strikeout to escape the situation. This time Wynns was the victim.

Athletics shut out Royals to secure series win

Athletics shut out Royals to secure series win

Jacob Lopez allowed three hits and struck out nine across six scoreless innings, and Max Muncy clubbed a two-run homer Saturday, as the visiting Athletics won 4-0 over the scuffling Kansas City Royals, who have lost five straight.

Lawrence Butler also went deep, and Jacob Wilson recorded two hits to raise his average to .369. The A's took the first two of this set after losing 14 straight on the road. However, the day belonged to Lopez (1-4), who, making his seventh career start over three seasons, yielded two hits to Maikel Garcia, a Salvador Perez single and walked one for his second career quality start.

Having clinched their first winning road series since May 3-5, the A's are in position to sweep their second away set of 2025.

Michael Lorenzen (5-6) also recorded a quality start while lasting six innings, but gave up three runs, three walks and four hits.

The Royals went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position while being shut out for the eighth time this season and second time in three games. Kansas City, winless on this six-game homestand amid a 10-21 rut while dropping to three games below .500, managed a combined four hits and fanned 12 times versus Lopez, Michael Kelly, and Hogan Harris.

Kansas City has also dropped six consecutive series at home, where it's lost 13 of 16.

The Royals' frustrating trend of failing to drive runners home from scoring position continued in the first. Garcia opened with a double that drew chalk from the right-field line but was stranded.

Then, Lorenzen walked Tyler Soderstrom to open the A's second and Muncy, with four RBIs in the series, followed by lining a slider into his team's bullpen over the left-field fence for a 2-0 lead.

After Kansas City left runners on second and third in third inning, Soderstrom again walked to lead off the fourth. He then stole second and scored on Luis Urias' double that reached the left-field wall.

Butler sent a pitch from Daniel Lynch IV over the right-center field wall in the seventh.

A's down Royals, snap 14-game road losing streak

A's down Royals, snap 14-game road losing streak

Luis Severino continued his away dominance by allowing just one run in 7 1/3 innings as the Athletics snapped their 14-game road losing streak with 6-4 win over the scuffling Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Severino (2-6) owns a 7.10 ERA and an 0-6 record in nine home starts, but he is 2-0 with 0.93 ERA in six road outings.

The veteran right-hander surrendered only a first-inning run and six hits on Friday while also reaching 1,000th career innings. He struck out one and walked two while helping the A's post their first road win since May 13.

Austin Wynns and Luis Urias homered for the Athletics, who snapped a three-game overall skid.

Nick Loftin had a two-RBI triple during a three-run ninth off Mason Miller for Kansas City, which has dropped four straight as part of a 10-20 rut. Royals starter Michael Wacha (3-6) was charged with five runs and allowed nine hits with two walks over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five.

Severino retired the first two batters he faced before Maikel Garcia (three hits) singled and stole second. Vinnie Pasquantino walked on four pitches -- extending his on-base streak to 28 games. Salvador Perez then found the left-center-field gap for an RBI double.

The A's evened things with their own two-out run in the second. In his fourth game since coming over from the Cincinnati Reds, Wynns cleared the left field fence. It was his first homer and first RBI for his new team.

In the third, Wacha allowed a single to Jacob Wilson, walked Brent Rooker and hit Max Muncy with a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Nick Kurtz then smashed a grounder off the glove of diving first baseman Pasquantino for a 2-1 A's lead.

The Athletics added on in the fourth when Urias found the boxes beyond the left field fence for a solo shot.

Wacha exited with one out in the sixth after allowing a hit to Denzel Clarke and bunt single by Lawrence Butler. Steven Cruz entered and gave up a single to Wilson. After Rooker fanned, Tyler Soderstrom walked home a run, and Muncy singled up the middle to plate two.

The Royals' Jonathan India left at the start of the seventh inning with an apparent injury.

Yanks edge Royals 1-0 on late run, sweep season series

Yanks edge Royals 1-0 on late run, sweep season series

Pablo Reyes scored an unearned run from second base on a wild play in the eighth inning after New York's Will Warren and Kansas City's Seth Lugo dueled in the visiting Yankees' 1-0 victory over the Royals on Thursday night.

The American League East-leading Yankees totaled 16 runs and 24 hits in the first two games of the three-game set, but managed five hits against four Royals pitchers in the finale. Yet that was enough for the victory to claim all six games this season versus Kansas City.

The Royals, amid a 10-19 rut that dropped them below .500 for the first time since April 27, were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Kansas City's Vinnie Pasquantino did extend his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games and on-base streak to 27 with a single leading off the second.

Reyes opened the eighth with a single against Kansas City's Lucas Erceg (1-2), who then struck out Aaron Judge looking after he came off the bench on his first day out of the starting lineup this season. Reyes advanced to second on a Trent Grisham groundout.

Ater Ben Rice walked, Paul Goldschmidt sent a liner off the glove of first baseman Pasquantino, who tried to get the out at first but was late. A streaking Reyes, meanwhile, stopped between third and home, then again broke for the plate, where catcher Freddy Fermin was unable to grab the low throw from Erceg, who was covering first. Erceg was charged with an error.

Lugo allowed three walks but only singles to J.C. Escarra and Grisham before leaving with two outs in the sixth and two on. A 28-minute rain delay followed, then Angel Zerpa retired Cody Bellinger via a diving catch from center fielder Kyle Isbel.

Warren came back out after the delay but was replaced with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth. The right-hander gave up four hits and a walk and struck out four.

Kansas City failed to score after opening the second with back-to-back singles. It squandered Nick Loftin's one-triple in the fifth and left runners on the corners in the seventh.

New York's Mark Leiter Jr. (4-3) pitched one-third of an inning for the win.

Yankees erupt for 5 runs early, coast to win over Royals

Yankees erupt for 5 runs early, coast to win over Royals

Clarke Schmidt allowed two hits and struck out seven over six scoreless innings and Paul Goldschmidt's two-run single highlighted a five-run second inning as the New York Yankees won 6-3 over the host Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Aaron Judge homered for the fourth time in three games for New York, which posted a 10-2 series-opening victory Tuesday and has won all five 2025 meetings with Kansas City. Schmidt (3-3) bested the Royals' Kris Bubic (5-4), who entered with a major league-leading 1.43 ERA.

Schmidt issued three walks but allowed just a pair of singles, one to Jonathan India and the other to Maikel Garcia, who was thrown out trying to stretch his into a double in the fourth inning.

Bubic allowed a season-high five runs, all in the second inning, on six hits and four walks over 4 1/3 innings. Salvador Perez clubbed a two-run, ninth-inning homer for Kansas City, which is 10-18 since starting 24-16.

The left-hander struck out two while retiring the side in the first, but the Yankees broke out an inning later.

Cody Bellinger began the frame with a triple to right-center field. After Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked, Bellinger scored on Anthony Volpe's fielder's choice.

Then, with two out and two on, Austin Wells, who had five RBIs Tuesday, roped an RBI double to right center. Goldschmidt followed with his two-run single, then Ben Rice added his own run-scoring single off Bubic, who threw 41 pitches in the frame.

Bubic's night ended with a man on and one out in the fifth. The Yankees loaded the bases later in the inning, but Garcia began a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play from his backside after fielding a smash from DJ LeMahieu.

Judge, batting .394, stayed hot by driving Steven Cruz's pitch well over the right-center-field wall in the seventh.

Devin Williams was summoned for his eighth save after Kansas City's Nick Loftin scored from first base on Mark Leiter Jr.'s throwing error on John Rave's infield hit in the ninth to make it a three-run game.

Chisholm exited Wednesday with left groin tightness.

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