KANSAS CITY, MO — In a game that defined “down to the wire,” Leody Taveras launched a massive 12th-inning grand slam to propel the Baltimore Orioles to a wild 7-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. The loss marks the eighth consecutive defeat for the struggling Royals.
Despite being outhit 14-6, the Orioles displayed remarkable resilience, twice finding themselves down to their final strike in extra innings before ultimately pulling away.
Late-Inning Heroics
The game was a pitching duel for the first eight frames, but the drama spiked in the ninth. Trailing 1-0 and facing their final strike, Baltimore’s Samuel Basallo delivered a clutch RBI single to score Dylan Beavers, marking just the second hit of the game for the Orioles and forcing extra innings.
The seesaw battle continued through the 11th and 12th:
- 11th Inning: Dylan Beavers hit a two-out, two-strike single to give Baltimore a 2-1 lead. The Royals answered in the bottom half when Bobby Witt Jr. tied the game with a two-out RBI single of his own.
- 12th Inning: Basallo struck again with a leadoff single to make it 3-2. After Jeremiah Jackson singled and Weston Wilson walked to load the bases, Leody Taveras cleared them with a 419-foot blast to center field—the first grand slam of his career.
Royals’ Missed Opportunities
The loss was particularly stinging for Kansas City, who dominated early behind a stellar performance from starter Seth Lugo. Lugo surrendered only one hit over seven innings, striking out seven and lowering his ERA to a stellar 1.15. The Royals held a 1-0 lead for much of the night thanks to Jac Caglianone’s first home run of the season, a 437-foot moonshot in the second inning.
However, the Royals’ offense struggled to capitalize on opportunities, leaving a staggering 16 runners on base throughout the game. They loaded the bases in both the first and third innings but came away empty-handed against Orioles starter Kyle Bradish.
A Final Scare
Even after the Taveras slam sent many fans to the exits, the Royals refused to go quietly. In the bottom of the 12th, Nick Loftin hammered a bases-clearing double to cut the lead to 7-5. Orioles reliever Cameron Foster regained his composure, striking out Kyle Isbel to finally end the marathon contest.
Anthony Nunez (1-0) earned the win for Baltimore, while Alex Lange (0-2) took the loss for Kansas City. The two teams continue their series tomorrow, with the Royals desperate to snap their losing skid.
