Vinnie Pasquantino hit his 32nd home run of the season and drove in three runs, while Bobby Witt Jr. collected four hits as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Los Angeles Angels 9-4 on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. The win continued a strong offensive stretch for Kansas City and deepened the Angels’ late-season struggles.
Oddsmakers had the Royals as slight -115 favorites on the moneyline, with the Angels listed at -105. The over/under was set at 8.5 runs, and the teams combined for 13, pushing the game comfortably over the total.
Pasquantino gave Kansas City an early lead with a two-run homer in the first inning, a drive to right field that also gave him 110 runs batted in for the year. He added another RBI in the third inning with a fielder’s choice that scored Witt. Witt produced throughout the game, finishing with four hits, including an RBI double in the fifth that pushed the lead to 5-1.
On the mound, Michael Lorenzen turned in one of his better outings of the season. The right-hander struck out a season-high nine batters while walking none, allowing two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings to improve to 7-11.
The Angels tried to stay within reach behind the long ball. Jo Adell hit his 37th home run in the second inning, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Nolan Schanuel added a solo home run in the sixth to bring Los Angeles closer at 5-2, and Mike Trout hit his 23rd homer of the season in the eighth, a two-run shot that pulled the Angels within a run at 5-4. The blast was also the 401st of Trout’s career.
Kansas City responded in the ninth with a decisive rally. Facing reliever Sam Bachman, the Royals loaded the bases with two outs. Bachman was one strike away from escaping the jam, but Salvador Perez drove a double off the center-field wall, clearing the bases and breaking the game open. The hit extended Kansas City’s lead to 9-4, ending any hopes of a late comeback for Los Angeles.
The Angels’ offense was again plagued by strikeouts, finishing with 13 on the night. Their season total climbed to 1,603, ranks fourth-highest in significant league history. With three games remaining, the club is within reach of the record of 1,654, set by the Minnesota Twins in 2023.
Angels starter Mitch Farris dropped to 1-3 after allowing four runs on five hits in five innings, striking out five and walking two. The loss was the team’s 11th in its last 13 games, continuing a downward trend that defined their September.
Kansas City improved to 80-78 with the win, maintaining positive momentum as it heads into its final season series. The Royals will travel to Oakland on Friday to open a set with the Athletics, with left-hander Noah Cameron (9-7, 2.90 ERA) scheduled to start against right-hander Luis Morales (4-2, 3.07). The Angels will remain home for a series against the Houston Astros, beginning Friday with right-hander Kyle Hendricks (8-10, 4.79 ERA) facing Houston’s Jason Alexander (4-2, 4.83).
