KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Behind a career-high seven strikeouts from Luinder Avila and a clutch, tiebreaking RBI single from Nick Loftin, the Kansas City Royals edged out the San Francisco Giants 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Avila Delivers a Masterclass On the Mound
Avila (5-3) was the star of the night, giving Kansas City the longest outing of his young career. The 24-year-old right-hander tossed 6 1/3 stellar innings in his 10th career start, allowing just five hits and two runs while fanning seven.
Once Avila exited, the Royals bullpen locked the door:
- Matt Strahm, John Schreiber, and Alex Lange combined for 2 2/3 hitless innings in relief.
- Alex Lange struck out two in a perfect ninth inning to notch his ninth save of the season.
Giants starter Tyler Mahle (2-9) took the loss, yielding five hits and three earned runs while striking out four across five innings.
How the Runs Scored
- 3rd Inning (KC): Carter Jensen put the Royals on the board first with a solo home run—his 14th of the season. The blast marked Kansas City’s fifth consecutive game with a homer.
- 5th Inning (SF): The Giants rallied with two outs. Jesus Rodriguez doubled and crossed the plate on a Drew Gilbert single. Gilbert then advanced on a Christian Koss single and scored after Royals shortstop Tyler Tolbert bobbled a Heliot Ramos grounder, giving San Francisco a brief 2-1 lead.
- 6th Inning (KC): Kansas City answered right back. Isaac Collins drew a lead-off walk, and Sam Hentges hit Salvador Perez with a pitch to set the table. Vinnie Pasquantino then extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a game-tying RBI single to center. Moments later, Loftin drove in the decisive run with a bases-loaded single to secure the 3-2 victory.
Both Pasquantino and Loftin finished the night 2 for 3 at the plate.
Injury Note
The victory came with a bit of concern for Kansas City. Right fielder Jac Caglianone left the game after the fifth inning due to right shoulder soreness. Caglianone was 0 for 2 with a groundout and a strikeout before being replaced in the field by Isaac Collins.
Up Next
The series continues Wednesday night as the Giants send right-hander Landen Roupp (7-8, 3.98 ERA) to the mound against Royals righty Seth Lugo (3-6, 4.39 ERA).
