Baltimore, MD – In a stunning display of power, the Kansas City Royals erupted for a franchise-record seven home runs on Sunday, overpowering the Baltimore Orioles with an 11-6 victory at Camden Yards. Maikel Garcia led the charge with two towering blasts, igniting a long-ball frenzy that secured the Royals their first regular-season series win in Baltimore since 2014.
The game remained tight at 5-5 until the seventh inning when Bobby Witt Jr. broke the deadlock with a solo shot off Orioles reliever Yennier Cano. Vinnie Pasquantino followed immediately with another homer into the right-field seats, ending Cano’s impressive 12-outing scoreless streak.
Jonathan India, Luke Maile, and Michael Massey also contributed to the Royals’ unexpected power surge. Massey’s ninth-inning homer not only padded the lead but also etched the team’s name in the record books for most home runs in a single game. This offensive explosion was particularly surprising given that Kansas City entered the contest with a major league-low 18 home runs through their first 34 games and hadn’t hit six or more in a game since 2020.
Despite the Orioles’ own power display, including a first career multi-homer game from rookie sensation Jackson Holliday, along with solo shots from Ryan O’Hearn and Cedric Mullins, they couldn’t keep pace with the Royals’ relentless barrage.
Baltimore’s starting pitcher, Kyle Gibson, struggled, surrendering three runs and five hits in just four innings. This outing followed a disastrous season debut on Tuesday against the Yankees, where he allowed four first-inning home runs and was pulled in the fourth after giving up nine runs on 11 hits.
On the other side, Royals’ starter Michael Lorenzen, making his 100th career start, also had a rough day, allowing a career-high four home runs before being pulled in the fifth. Ironically, the four homers he surrendered equaled his total allowed in his previous six starts combined.
Angel Zerpa (2-0) earned the win for Kansas City, pitching 1 2/3 innings and allowing one run. The Orioles threatened in the eighth, scoring twice and bringing the tying run to the plate with no outs, but Royals reliever Lucas Erceg shut down the rally with three consecutive outs.
The victory secured the series win for the Royals, their first in Baltimore since 2014, and also marked their first season series win against the Orioles (4-2) since 2018.
Looking ahead, the Royals return home to face the Chicago White Sox in a four-game series starting Monday night. Left-hander Cole Ragans (1-1, 4.40 ERA) is slated to take the mound for Kansas City. Pregame coverage will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Superstar Country 102.5 FM & 1530 AM, with the first pitch from Kauffman Stadium scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CDT.
