Maikel Garcia delivered a game-winning two-run double against Yankees closer Clay Holmes, propelling the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 victory on Thursday. This win allowed the Royals to avoid a four-game sweep after squandering a remarkable performance by Alec Marsh. Marsh had held the major league-best Yankees (49-22) hitless until the seventh inning, when Juan Soto broke the streak with a leadoff single. Despite this, Marsh retired the next three batters, concluding his impressive 96-pitch outing.
In the eighth inning, New York began their comeback against reliever John Schreiber. Anthony Rizzo’s home run narrowed the gap to 2-1, and an error by second baseman Garrett Hampson set up Anthony Volpe’s RBI grounder. Angel Zerpa took over pitching duties but surrendered Soto’s go-ahead RBI single. The game intensified in the ninth inning when Drew Waters hit a grounder that resulted in an infield hit due to confusion between Holmes and first baseman Rizzo. Following a fielder’s choice, Kyle Isbel singled, setting the stage for Garcia’s heroics. Garcia’s liner down the left-field line brought home MJ Melendez from third base and Isbel from first, securing the Royals’ victory.
Holmes, who suffered his fourth blown save in 23 opportunities, was credited with the loss (1-2). On the other hand, James McArthur (3-3) pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Royals, helping them snap a four-game losing streak. Despite struggling with runners in scoring position, going 2 for 10, Kansas City managed to come out on top in this thrilling contest.
The Royals are embarking on a 9-game road trip, starting on the west coast. They will face the Dodgers for 3 games, followed by a series of 3 games against the Athletics. After that, they will head to Texas to play 3 games against the Rangers. The starting pitchers for today’s game are Cole Ragans for Kansas City and Gavin Stone for Los Angeles. The game is scheduled to begin at 9:10 p.m., with pregame coverage starting at 8:30 p.m. on Classic Hits 106.7 FM, 102.5 FM & 1530 AM KQNK.
