Tag: Kansas City Royals

Royal Flush Leaves the A’s Empty-Handed 6-2, No Dark Glasses Needed

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Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Athletics in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026.Colin E. Braley/AP Photo/Colin E. Braley

By Mauricio Segura

Every time the Sacramento Athletics found ways to put runners on base, Kansas City kept finding ways to make those runners disappear. The Royals Bobby Witt Jr. supplied the early jolt, Isaac Collins delivered the biggest hit with men aboard, and the Royals finished a four-game sweep with a 6-2 win that sent the A’s to 49-79 and extended their losing streak to four.

Sacramento had an opening immediately. Henry Bolte singled to begin the game, but Jeff McNeil followed with a double play. Zack Gelof then drew a walk and Lawrence Butler singled, only for Max Muncy to strike out. Kansas City needed far less traffic. Witt turned the first pitch he saw from Gage Jump into a solo homer to left-center, giving the Royals a 1-0 lead. Maikel Garcia followed with a double, but Darell Hernaiz recovered from a fielding error on Salvador Perez’s grounder and helped cut Garcia down at home.

The A’s missed an even bigger chance in the second. Carlos Cortes singled, Donovan Walton drew a walk and Hernaiz added an infield single to load the bases with one out. Randy Dobnak escaped when Bolte struck out and McNeil grounded out. Sacramento put two more aboard in the third after a Muncy walk and Cortes’ second hit, but Brian Serven struck out. Dobnak worked four scoreless innings despite allowing six hits and four walks.

Kansas City made its chances count. Witt singled in the third, Perez followed with another hit and Vinnie Pasquantino drew a walk to load the bases. Collins then lined a two-run single to left for a 3-0 lead. In the fourth, Michael Massey singled and Nick Loftin tripled him home. Jump intentionally put Witt on, then retired John Rave on a fielder’s choice that erased Loftin at the plate. Perez followed with an RBI single to make it 5-0.

Jump entered the game with 85 strikeouts through his first 15 career starts, the third-highest total in Athletics history over that span, behind only Tim Hudson and Sonny Gray. Kansas City still reached him for five runs in four innings, ending his afternoon before the A’s finally mounted their only scoring push.

The response began in the fifth against Carlos Duran. Butler drew a walk, Muncy and Cortes followed with walks of their own, and Serven singled home Butler with the bases loaded. Connor Thomas replaced Duran and Walton brought Muncy home on a groundout, trimming the deficit to 5-2. Hernaiz lined out to end the threat.

Taylor Rashi then made his A’s debut after being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. He allowed a run in the fifth when Collins reached and Massey doubled him home, but Rashi prevented further damage and worked a scoreless sixth. His appearance made him the 58th player used by the Athletics this season.

The Green and Gold never generated another rally. Butler singled to open the seventh, but Craig Kimbrel entered and retired Muncy and Cortes before Butler was caught stealing. The A’s did not put another runner on base. John Schreiber handled the eighth and Nate Pearson retired Bolte, McNeil and Gelof in order in the ninth.

Butler finished with two hits and a walk, while Cortes had two hits and a walk of his own. Walton doubled and drove in a run, and Serven supplied the other RBI. The lack of road offense has been a season-long problem for Sacramento, which entered the game with the second-fewest road runs in the majors and a .224 batting average away from home.

The next stop is Houston, where Sacramento starter J.T. Ginn (8-7, 3.53 ERA, 114 K) is set to face Houston starter Hayden Wesneski (2-1, 5.16 ERA, 18 K), with first pitch scheduled for 5:10 p.m. Pacific.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

A’s Four-Run Lead Vanishes in a Royals Seven-Run Eighth for a 9-7 loss

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Sacramento A’s Henry Bolte warms up before the contest against the Kansas City Royals at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City on Wed Aug 19, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacamento Athletics watched a four-run advantage disappear in one brutal inning as Kansas City rallied for a 9-7 victory at Kaufman Stadium on Wednesday night. Sacramento scored twice in the first and three more in the fifth, while Jeffrey Springs delivered one of his better outings of the season, but the Royals turned the eighth inning into the difference with seven runs against Hayden Juenger and Drew Rom.

Henry Bolte started the game with a single and immediately scored when Jeff McNeil doubled to center. Zack Gelof followed with an RBI single that brought home McNeil, giving the A’s a 2-0 lead before Kansas City starter Seth Lugo recorded an out. Gelof later stole second, but the Athletics could not add another run in the inning.

Springs, making his first major league start since returning from a right hip injury, gave the A’s a strong chance to win. The outing was also the 200th appearance of his career. He entered with an 11-game losing streak, the longest active skid in the majors, but held Kansas City to two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings, with two walks and one strikeout. He allowed only one run through five innings before Vinnie Pasquantino homered in the sixth. Springs left with a 5-2 lead and received a no-decision.

The Athletics built that cushion with a three-run fifth. Donovan Walton and Max Muncy opened the rally with back-to-back singles, and Bolte drove in Walton with another base hit. McNeil followed with an RBI single that scored Muncy, and Gelof brought Bolte home on a force play. Bolte finished 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, while McNeil went 2-for-4 with two RBI. McNeil entered the game batting .380 since the All-Star break, while Bolte had been one of the club’s hottest hitters in August.

The A’s bullpen entered the game with the highest ERA in the majors, and the eighth inning showed why. Maikel Garcia opened with a triple against Juenger and scored on Pasquantino’s single. Salvador Perez then drew a walk, bringing Rom into the game with two runners aboard and nobody out.

Kansas City kept applying pressure. Kyle Isbel singled home Pasquantino, and Isaac Collins followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Perez and tied the game 5-5. Rom then intentionally walked Bobby Witt Jr., loading the bases for John Rave.

Rave delivered the biggest swing of the game, a three-run double to right that scored Tyler Tolbert, Isbel and Witt. Garcia, batting for the second time in the inning, added an RBI single that brought home Rave and pushed the Royals ahead 9-5.

Sacramento still had one final response. With two outs in the ninth, Walton singled and moved to second before Muncy launched a two-run homer to center, trimming the deficit to 9-7. Muncy finished 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, but Bolte grounded out to end it.

The loss was especially difficult because the A’s had put themselves in position to reward Springs for a strong return. Instead, another late collapse left the starter without a victory and gave Kansas City its third straight win in the series.

The series finale will match Sacramento rookie left-hander Gage Jump (5-7, 4.50 ERA, 85 K) against Kansas City right-hander Randy Dobnak (2-1, 1.73 ERA, 25 K), with first pitch scheduled for 11:10 a.m. Pacific Thursday.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Sacramento A’s podcast Bridget Mulcahy: A’s fall as Royals rally for 7 runs in 8th inning for 9-7 win

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Sacramento A’s Jeff McNeil gets an RBI single in the top of the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kaufman Stadium on Wed Aug 19, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Bridget Mulcahy:

#1 How did Max Muncy hit a home run to deep 414 feet to help the A’s make a late comeback attempt in the ninth inning although the A’s fell two runs short in a 9-7 loss?

#2 Jeff McNeil hit an RBI double and later scored on Zack Gelof’s single in the top of the first inning?

#3 Henry Bolte got a two run single and help get the A’s a two run 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning?

#4 Zack Gelof got a hit and two RBis in the top of the fifth inning to get the A’s a four run 5-1 lead?

#5 What went wrong for A’s pitchers Hayden Juenger and Drew Rom in the eighth inning, for Juneger didn’t retire a batter in the eighth inning allowing two hits and three earned runs and Rom pitched an inning allowed three hits and four earned runs.

Bridget Mulcahy does the Sacramento A’s podcast Wednesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Royals Witt’s Walk-Off Sting Sinks A’s 4-3

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Kansas City Royals Tyler Tolbert runs to first base after hitting a two run ninth inning single to help defeat the Sacramento A’s at Kaufman Stadium on Tue Aug 18, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento A’s needed three outs to turn six scoreless innings and a three-run lead into a much-needed victory. Instead, the Kansas City Royals erased the entire margin in the bottom of the ninth, with Tyler Tolbert delivering a game-tying two-run single before Bobby Witt Jr. ended it with an RBI single to left for a 4-3 Royals win.

Sacramento struck first against Daniel Lynch IV, but the opening inning also offered an early hint of how precious every run would become. Zack Gelof drew a one-out walk, Jeff McNeil singled, and Jonah Heim loaded the bases with another walk. Tommy White then sent a ground-ball single into left to score Gelof. McNeil tried to score as well, but Nick Loftin’s throw reached catcher Carter Jensen in time for the out at home, limiting the Athletics to one run.

The pitching plan worked beautifully for most of the game. Brady Basso opened with 2 1/3 scoreless innings before Jack Perkins took over. Together, they held Kansas City scoreless through six on three hits. The Athletics also turned two double plays behind Perkins, while Jonah Heim and Alika Williams erased Carter Jensen on a successful challenge of a stolen-base attempt in the third. Perkins finished his work by striking out Kyle Isbel, Loftin and Witt in order in the sixth.

The A’s finally added breathing room in the top of that inning. Henry Bolte singled, Gelof drew his second walk, and McNeil lined a run-scoring single to left. After the runners advanced on a groundout, Lawrence Butler drew a walk to load the bases, and Max Muncy followed with a bases-loaded walk that scored Gelof for a 3-0 lead. McNeil’s two-hit performance continued a strong second half; he entered the game batting .373 since the All-Star break.

Kansas City began cutting into the advantage in the seventh. Jac Caglianone doubled off Drew Rom and scored when Vinnie Pasquantino doubled to right. Luis Medina stopped the inning there, then helped produce a double play in the eighth. Trouble returned with two outs when Isaac Collins and Witt drew walks and Caglianone reached on an infield single after an overturned challenge. With the bases loaded, Hogan Harris got Maikel Garcia to line out to right, preserving a 3-1 lead.

That escape only delayed the ending. Harris retired Pasquantino to begin the ninth, but Salvador Perez reached on catcher interference, Michael Massey singled, and Jensen drew a walk to load the bases. Tolbert, batting for Isbel, grounded a two-run single into left to tie the game. Elvis Alvarado replaced Harris, and manager Mark Kotsay ejected by first-base umpire Alex Tosi. Alvarado retired Collins, but Witt followed with a single to left that brought Jensen home with the winning run.

The finish landed directly on one of the Athletics’ biggest season-long problems. They entered the game with 36 losses in games they had led, tied with Kansas City for second most in the majors, and 11 losses after holding leads of three runs or more. Both totals increased by one. Harris had also saved six of the A’s previous seven wins and entered with a 1.95 road ERA, making the ninth-inning collapse especially costly.

If the current probables hold, Wednesday’s matchup will feature Athletics left-hander Gage Jump (5-7, 4.50 ERA, 85 strikeouts) against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (5-7, 4.59 ERA, 108 strikeouts), with first pitch scheduled for 4:40 p.m. Pacific.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Royals Witt Runs Wild as Three Homers Go to Waste in A’s 9-5 loss

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Kansas City Royals Bobby Witt Jr hits a two run home run in the bottom of the second inning against the Sacramento A’s at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City on Mon Aug 17, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics scored first, but Kansas City Royals ensurerd the early lead did not last coming back later to defeat the A’s 9-5 at Kaufman Stadium Monday night. Jeff McNeil opened the game with a solo home run to right, continuing a second-half surge that had him batting .380 since the All-Star break. Henry Bolte and Zack Gelof followed with singles, giving the A’s a chance to build something bigger, but Carlos Cortes grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Kansas City answered with three runs in the bottom half. Bobby Witt Jr. drew a walk, Jac Caglianone singled, and a Mason Barnett wild pitch moved both runners up. Maikel Garcia tied the game with an RBI single before Salvador Perez brought home two more with a two-run single to center. The Royals were ahead 3-1, and they never trailed again.

Barnett’s trouble continued in the second. Kyle Isbel drew a walk, advanced on another wild pitch, and scored when Witt launched a two-run homer to left-center. In the third, Michael Massey singled, Isaac Collins drew a walk, and Isbel drove in Massey with a single for a 6-1 lead. Hayden Juenger replaced Barnett after 2 2/3 innings. Barnett allowed six runs on seven hits and four walks, striking out two. He had entered the game with an 8.78 ERA in his first three starts of the season after beginning the year as a reliever.

There was a little baseball symmetry in Barnett’s assignment. Kansas City originally drafted him in 2022 before trading him to the A’s with Will Klein and Jared Dick for Lucas Erceg in 2024. Erceg would later pitch the ninth inning for the Royals against the team that acquired Barnett.

The A’s finally broke through against Michael Wacha in the fifth. Tommy White led off with a solo homer, his second major league home run and his second in as many games after hitting the first of his career a day earlier. Donovan Walton followed with a double, moved to third on Alika Williams’ flyout, and scored when Brian Serven hit a two-run homer to left. In a span of four batters, the Athletics had cut a five-run deficit to 6-4.

Kansas City answered again in the sixth. Witt singled, stole second and scored on Caglianone’s RBI single against Scott Blewett, pushing the lead to 7-4. The Royals added two more in the eighth against Seth Johnson. Carter Jensen doubled, Witt doubled him home, and Caglianone followed with another RBI single. Witt finished 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, three RBI, four runs scored, a walk and a stolen base. Caglianone added three hits and two RBI.

The A’s had one last opening in the ninth. Cortes singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, and White and Walton drew walks to load the bases with nobody out. Steven Cruz replaced Erceg and got pinch-hitter Jonah Heim to ground into a double play. Cortes scored, but White was left at third with two outs. Serven then grounded out to finish the 9-5 loss.

Those double plays were more than a one-game annoyance. The Athletics entered the game fourth in the majors with 95 grounded-into double plays, then added three more against Kansas City. The first erased a promising opening inning, the second wiped out Butler’s leadoff single in the sixth, and the third turned a bases-loaded ninth into a single run.

The Green and Gold will try to square the series Tuesday as Jack Perkins (2-9, 7.27 ERA, 94 strikeouts) faces left-hander Daniel Lynch IV (4-4, 2.88 ERA, 40 strikeouts), with first pitch scheduled for 4:40 p.m. Pacific.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Sacramento A’s podcast Daniel Dullum: A’s open up six game road trip in Kansas City Monday night

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Sacramento A’s Lawrence Butler (4) celebrates his home run with Tommy White (47) In the bottom of the second inning against the Texas Rangers on Sun Aug 16, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 Sacramento A’s Zack Gelof and Lawrence Butler both hit two run home runs and Tommy White had his first MLB home run as the A’s defeated the Texas Rangers 5-2 Sunday at Sutter Health Park.

#2 This was the first time the A’s won a home series since Jun 12-14 against the Colorado Rockies at Las Vegas Ballpark and they won their first series at Sutter Health Park bac on Apr 28-30 against the Kansas City Royals.

#3 A’s starter Jacob Lopez struck out six hitter and allowed two runs on five hits to get his first win after making four starts.

#4 A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson is walking a tight rope after mishanding a ground ball in the top of the fourth it was ruled a hit and kept his 114 game errorless streak alive.

#5 The A’s travel to Kansas City to face the Royals Monday night starting pitchers for Sacramento RHP Mason Barnett (1-3 ERA 6.16) for Kansas City RHP Michael Wacha (5-8 ERA 3.46) first pitch 4:40pm PDT.

Daniel Dullum does the Sacramento A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman: Win against Angels huge after getting swept in Kansas City

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San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (2) puts the tag on Los Angeles Angels Zach Neto (9) at second base during a steal attempt at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri Jul 24, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman:

A win is a win no matter who you get it against the Giants had blown a 5-1 lead to the Los Angeles Angels of all teams after getting swept by the Royals of all teams whatever you could do to get a win and you know what. The Giants fought back and in the bottom of the tenth inning Rafeal Devers got a single to score the walk off winning run for the Giants 7-6 win.

Devers hit bounced over the wall the runner didn’t come into score he was too busy celebrating a similar thing happened in the 1995 NLCS the New York Mets had come back in game six as the Mets won game five. Robin Ventura was mobbed by his teammates at first base and he was charged with only a single.

The Angels and Giants match up for game two of the series on Saturday at Oracle Park. Starting pitchers for Los Angeles RHP Ryan Johnson (2-4 ERA 6.10) for San Francisco LHP Robbie Ray (8-6 ERA 3.33)

Stephen Ruderman is a San Francisco Giants beat writer for www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants Squander 3-0 Lead Losing to Royals 5-4

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San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez throws to second base for the first out in the bottom of the second inning to retire Salvador Perez at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City on Wed Jun 22, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

If you love the nuances of the pitching game, the opening innings of game three between the San Francisco Giants (42-60) and the Kansas City Royals (43-60) was definitely your cup of tea.

Through the first five innings of this game three it was a good old-fashioned pitchers duel with Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp and the Royals starter Seth Lugo putting up some brilliant work. Each team had a single hit through five innings. The Royals just get by the Giants for the three game sweep in a Wednesday 5-4 win.

GAME RECAP

The first five innings show-cased some excellent pitching from both starters. Landen Roupp for the Giants and for the Royals Seth Lugo were both amazing. Each pitcher had only given up one hit apiece.

The Giants finally broke through in the top of the sixth inning and they did it without a single hit. Willy Adames crossed home plate for the first run of the game. He had walked to open the inning. Drew Gilbert was hit by a pitch giving the Giants two runners on base. A sacrifice from Luis Arraez gave Adames the first run and the first lead of the day 1-0.

Going into the top of the seventh inning there had been a total of three combined hits for the two teams. Both pitchers had done a great job keeping the offenses in check until San Francisco got an impressive rally going with two outs in the inning.

Rafael Devers got the rally underway walking. Jung Hoo Lee came through big-time hitting a triple and Devers scored giving San Francisco a 2-0 lead. Willy Adames followed with a double that drove Lee home, the lead now 3-0 in favor of the Giants. Going into the bottom of the seventh the Giants had some ample breathing room.

The Royals displayed quite a rally of their own in the bottom of the seventh inning after a dispute on second base claiming that Vinnie Pasquantino had been pushed while trying to advance to second base.

It was a downright horrible call and disrupted play for a minute. After the incident Salvador Perez hit a 2-run homer and in a flash San Francisco was looking at a 3-2 lead. A pitching change for the Giants took place with Sam Hentges relieving Roupp.

Unfortunately Hentges gave up a couple of singles and the Royals had runners on first and third with only one out. Again a pitching change for the Giants and Keaton Winn relieved Hentge.

Winn allowed a run; Michael Massey scored when Starling Marte singled and this game was tied 3-3. When it had looked so very promising for San Francisco it all came crashing down.

With two outs the Royals had the bases loaded and Lane Thomas singled driving in Nick Lofton and Marte. The 3-0 Giants lead had become a distant memory now trailing 5-3. The bottom of the seventh got underway on a sour note and ended horribly for San Francisco.

The Giants got through the eighth inning without further damage and went into the top of the ninth inning, their last chance to avoid a sweep. Heliot Ramos was the first at bat and struck out.

Rafael Devers grounded out and Casey Schmitt was the last hope for the Giants. Schmitt hit a home run and San Francisco was still breathing. It all came to an end when Jung Hoo Lee popped out and that was the ball game 5-4 in favor of the Royals sweeping San Francisco. The Giants are now 18 games under .500.

GAME NOTES

The Giants jumped out in front early showing great energy. Willy Adames provided some really nice offensive sparks in the game as did Jung Hoo Lee and Casey Schmitt. The team just could not sustain rallies still struggling with runners on base.

The bottom line is that the Giants could not turn their scoring opportunities into enough runs to win this game. San Francisco was in a tight, winnable game but the big difference was clutch hitting and late execution by Kansas City. A huge moment for the Royals was the homer off the bat of Salvador Perez for his 317th home run tying the franchise home run record.

Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp had a stellar six innings which loosened toward the end of his outing. He was relieved by Sam Hentges in the seventh inning. Roupp had allowed four hits, two earned runs with seven strikeouts.

Hentges only lasted 1/3 of an inning allowing two hits and two earned runs. He was relieved by Keaton Winn who also allowed two hits and one earned run.

The Royals starter Seth Lugo pitched through seven innnings. He allowed three hits, three earned runs, one walk with five strikeouts. For the first six innings of the game both of these pitchers put on quite a show.

The Giants will now return home on what will no doubt be a very quiet flight. This had been an extremely tough series. They will be back on the field Friday taking on the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game series.

Probable pitchers for Friday for San Francisco will be Logan Webb. He has a 5-7 win/loss record and a 3.87 ERA. The San Francisco offense will be facing Los Angeles starter Grayson Rodriguez. His ERA is 8.23 with a 3-3 win/loss record. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 PM at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Avila and the Royals Hold On to Beat San Francisco 3-2 In Game Two

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Sam Hertges throws to the Kansas City Royals line up in the bottom of the sixth inning at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City on Tue Jul 21, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

 It was another disappointing game for the San Francisco Giants (42-59) dropping game two to the Kansas City Royals (42-60) by the score of 3-2.  In Tuesday night’s game the Giants did take a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning that was short-lived. 

Jesus Rodguiez and Drew Gilbert both scored in the inning but the Giants would not score again for the rest of the game.  The Royals would score a couple of runs in the sixth inning taking back the lead 3-2 which would be the final.  The Royals finished with eight hits, the Giants five hits.  San Francisco had their opportunities but failed to capitalize on them unable to produce timely hits and leaving runners stranded.

GAME RECAP

The two opening innings  were for the most part three and outs for both teams with a single here or a walk there.  It had so far been a pitchers duel until this game went into the bottom of the third inning.  The Royals took the first lead of the game in the third when Carter Jensen hit a solo home run giving Kansas City a 1-0 lead.

The Giants would tie up the game in the top of the fifth inning.  Jesus Rodriguez doubled and Drew Gilbert singled him home and this game was tied at one apiece.  San Francisco would take the lead when Drew Gilbert scored on an error for a 2-1 tally.  As the inning came to an end the Giants would count on their pitchers to keep the Royals off the board.

Going into the bottom of the sixth inning tha score had remained 2-1 in favor of the Giants.  That was about to change.  San Francisco would go through three pitchers in the inning.  Starting pitcher Mahle walked a runner and hit a batter to start the inning. 

He was relieved by Sam Hentges who did much the same, walking the first batter he faced and hitting the next at bat.  He was relieved by Keaton Winn who got out of the inning.  The damage had been with Salvador Perez and Isaac Collins both scoring giving the Royals a 3-2 lead that persisted to the final San Francisco out.

GAME NOTES

What went so wrong for the Giants in the second game of the series?  It looked very much like game one with the same deficiencies.  The Royals on the other hand made the key plays when they needed them most.   Avila kept the Giants offense under control for most of the game allowing only a couple of runs and preventing any big innings. 

Kansas City built a lead with timely hitting which included the first run of the game a solo home run by Carter Jensen.  RBI hits put a lot of pressure on Giants starter Tyler Mahle.  San Francisco had opportunities but didn’t string together enough hits until late.  They played from behind for much of the night..  

Luinder Avila outpitched Tyler Mahle.  He allowed just the two runs over 6 1/2 innings striking out seven which gave Kansas City a strong start.  The Giants offense managed only five hits and couldn’t score after the fifth inning despite having a few chances late.  The Royals bullpen finished the job.  The Kansas City relievers protected the one-run lead with Alex Lange earning the save.

Wednesday the Giants will be looking to avoid a sweep in game three.  The Giants will send Landen Roupp to the mound with a 7-8 win/loss record and a 3.98 ERA.  The Royals plan on starting Seth Lugo.  He has a 3-6 win/loss record and a 4.39 ERA.  First pitch for this game is scheduled for 11:10 AM.  

Giants Fight To Tie Up Game In Ninth Inning But Lose In a Walk-Off To Royals 4-3

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San Francisco Giants starter Trevor McDonald pitches against the Kansas City Royals in the bottom of the first inning at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City on Mon Jul 20, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (42-58) rolled into Kansas City Monday after dropping a series to the Mariners over the weekend. The Royals (41-60) took a series off the San Diego Padres in their last series at home.

Both teams have struggled this season this game having all the makings of a very competitive series. San Francisco was first up on the scoreboard in the fourth inning when Heliot Ramos had a monster hit for a solo home run and a 1-0 lead.

The Royals answered with three runs taking a 3-1 lead. Salvador Perez hit a 2-run homer followed by Michael Massey scoring from third base after hitting a double. Isaac Collins singled him home for the 3-1 lead.

This game went into the top of the ninth inning and the Giants were three outs away from losing the game. Rafael Devers and Heliot Ramos both struck out. Jung Hoo Lee singled followed by Willy Adames who clobbered the ball into right center to tie up this game at three apiece.

The Royals were looking for a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth. Rojas got the inning underway with a single. When Carter Jensen lined out Rojas advanced to third and he was 90 feet away from the walk-off.

Loften reached first on a bunt single, Rojas scored and that was the ball game. San Francisco fought hard to tie up the game but fell short in the bottom of the ninth inning losing the first game of the series 4-3.

GAME RECAP

This game got underway early evening with San Francisco having to deal with some uncomfortable humid temps. At first pitch the temperature was 95 degrees. San Francisco had two runners on base leaving both Bryce Eldridge and Rafael Devers stranded.

It was unfortunate that San Francisco could not capitalize on the opportunity early. Giants starting pitcher Trevor McDonald threw an idyllic opening inning going three and out.

San Francisco went three and out in the top of the second inning but Kansas City had a huge opportunity to drive in some runs loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning.

The Royals came away empty when Michael Massey flied into a double play followed by as Rojas ground out for the third out, a squandered opportunity for the Kansas City.

The third inning was another three and out for the Giants still looking for their first hit of the game. Trevor McDonald had his third walk of the game but finished the inning giving up nothing else.

San Francisco was first up on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs, Heliot Ramos homered to right center, a monster hit for 430 feet giving the Giants a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth inning the Royals fought back getting a lucrative rally going.

Vinnie Pasquantino was hit by a pitch followed by a Salvador Perez home run giving the Royals a 2-1 lead with two outs. Michael Massey doubled with an Isaac Collins single driving him home for a 3-1 lead. Carter Jensen fouled out for the third out but the Royals had taken the 3-1 lead into the top of the fifth inning.

The Giants got their second hit of the game in the fifth inning but not much else going into the bottom of the inning. The Royals also got a single in the inning still leading 3-1 going into the sixth.

There would be a change on the mound for San Francisco with no medical reason given. The team has not announced that McDonald suffered an injury but it apparently was something physical. JT Brubaker would come in to relieve McDonald.

Neither team was able to get very much if any offense in the sixth inning. The Giants went three and out in the seventh inning but the Royals did get a couple of singles in the bottom of the seventh but were not able to score any more run continuing to lead 3-1.

San Francisco’s Daniel Susac doubled to start the top of the eighth inning. He advanced to third when Luis Arraez grounded out but was left stranded. The Royals went three and out and San Francisco was down to their last three outs.

Rafael Devers struck out for the first out in the ninth inning, Ramos struck out for the second out and San Francisco was one out away from losing game one. Lee singled followed by a booming shot from Willy Adames to tie up this game 3-3.

The question now would Kansas City be able to walk-off this game. The answer was not long in coming. The Royals fought back winning the game in a walk-off. Rojas had singled and advanced to third scoring on a Loftin bunt for the 4-3 win. It was a crushing loss for the Giants.

GAME NOTES

The big difference in this game was that the Royals capitalized on one bad inning while the Giants came up just short in their late comeback. San Francisco starting pitcher was cruising through the first three innings but the Royals broke through in the fourth inning.

Salvador Perez hit a two run homer and KC added another RBI single to score three runs in the inning. They had turned a 1-0 Giants lead into a 3-1 deficit. Heliot Ramos provided the San Francisco’s offense for most of the game with a solo home run in the fourth inning.

The Giants struggled to string hits together against Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha and the Kansas City bullpen. The Giants rallied in the ninth scoring two runs but came up just short.

There was concern when McDonald left the game in the fifth inning exiting with a trainer but the exact reason is still unknown. The difference in this game was one costly inning by the Giants’ starter and not enough timely hitting. San Francisco had six hits in this game, the Royals with nine.

McDonald went four innings allowing four hits, three earned runs, two walks and three strikeouts. He exited the game going into the fifth inning with a trainer. Brubaker relieved McDonald allowing three hits, no runs, no walks and two strikeouts. The Royals starter Michael Wacha pitched through six innings allowing three hits, one earned run, one walk with five strikeouts.

Tuesday the Giants will be looking to tie up the series in game two. Tyler Mahle will take the mound for San Francisco. He has a 2-8 win/loss record and a 5.31 ERA. The Royals will start Luinder Avila. He has a 4-3 win/loss record and a 5.08 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 4:40 PM.