Bobby Witt Jr. delivered the decisive blow with a two-out solo home run in the eighth inning as the Kansas City Royals edged the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium. The victory prevented the Royals from being swept in the three-game series.
Sportsbooks had the Angels entering the contest as narrow -115 favorites, while the Royals were listed at -105 underdogs. The over/under was set at nine runs, but the clubs combined for just seven, all coming via solo or three-run home runs.
The Angels struck first in the opening frame. After Taylor Ward singled and Jo Adell walked, Luis Rengifo sent a 384-foot shot down the left-field line for a three-run homer off Royals starter Noah Cameron. It was the only damage Cameron would allow over his five-inning outing, in which he gave up five hits and struck out three.
Kansas City immediately began chipping away. Adam Frazier homered in the second inning, the 1,000th hit of his major league career, to cut the deficit to 3-1. Two innings later, Vinnie Pasquantino connected for his 29th home run of the season, a solo shot that trimmed the Angels’ lead to 3-2.
Veteran catcher Salvador Perez continued the power display in the seventh. His leadoff homer, his 24th of the year, tied the score at 3-3, giving him 495 career RBIs at Kauffman Stadium. That moved him into third place in the stadium’s history, passing Frank White. Only franchise legends George Brett (839) and Hal McRae (534) have driven more runs in Kansas City’s longtime home.
That set the stage for Witt in the eighth. Facing reliever Ryan Zeferjahn (6-5), Witt turned on a fastball and sent it into the seats, giving Kansas City the lead for the first time. Witt’s home run was his 23rd of the season and capped a night in which the Royals showed resiliency after falling behind early.
Lucas Erceg (7-4) won after striking out two in a scoreless eighth inning. Carlos Estévez closed out the ninth for his major league-leading 37th save, retiring the side to secure the victory.
Angels starter Kyle Hendricks pitched efficiently, allowing just three hits and two runs in six innings. He struck out four and walked none, handing the game to the bullpen with a one-run lead. The relief corps, however, was unable to hold it.
The loss dropped the Angels to 62-68 on the season. They had entered the night having won four of their last six and were looking to record their second sweep of the month. Instead, the Royals improved to 60-70 and salvaged the final game of their homestand against Los Angeles.
Kansas City continues its nine-game homestand Friday against the Minnesota Twins, with right-hander Michael Wacha (8-11, 3.52 ERA) scheduled to start. Minnesota has yet to announce its starter. The Angels travel to Oakland to face the Athletics, where right-hander José Soriano (10-9, 3.68 ERA) is set to oppose rookie Mason Barnett (0-1, 11.25 ERA) in the opener.
