ANAHEIM, Calif. ā Vinnie Pasquantino homered and drove in three runs, Bobby Witt Jr. had a four-hit night, and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Los Angeles Angels 9-4 on Thursday, pulling away with a late-game rally.
The Royals’ offense, led by Pasquantino’s team-leading 32nd home run and 110th RBI, jumped out to an early lead. Pasquantino’s two-run blast in the first inning gave Kansas City a 2-0 advantage. He later added a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the third, and Witt’s RBI double in the fifth pushed the lead to 5-1.
However, the Angels, who have now lost 11 of their last 13 games, chipped away at the lead. Jo Adell (37th) and Nolan Schanuel each homered, and a two-run shot by Mike Troutāthe 401st of his careerācut the Royals’ lead to a single run in the eighth inning.
With the game on the line, the Royals’ offense exploded in the ninth. Salvador Perez delivered the decisive blow with a two-out, three-run double off Angels reliever Sam Bachman, breaking the game open and securing the win for Kansas City.
On the mound for the Royals, Michael Lorenzen (7-11) was stellar, giving up just two earned runs and five hits while striking out a season-high nine batters in 5 2/3 innings. The Angels’ Mitch Farris (1-3) took the loss, allowing four earned runs over five innings.
The Angels’ offense struggled with strikeouts throughout the night, fanning 13 times. The team’s major league-leading total now stands at 1,603, just 51 shy of the all-time single-season record.
Looking ahead, the Royals will face the Athletics on Friday, with LHP Noah Cameron (9-7, 2.90 ERA) slated to start against Oakland’s RHP Luis Morales (4-2, 3.07).
