Bobby Witt Jr. broke a tie with a two-out solo homer in the eighth inning, giving the Kansas City Royals a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night and preventing a three-game sweep.
All seven runs in the game came via the long ball. Luis Rengifo put the Angels ahead early with a three-run shot in the first, but the Royals answered with four solo homers to claw back and take the win.
Adam Frazier started the Royals’ scoring in the second with a milestone blast — the 1,000th hit of his career. Vinnie Pasquantino followed with his 29th homer of the season in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Salvador Perez tied it in the seventh with his 24th homer before Witt delivered the decisive blow in the eighth.
Lucas Erceg (7-4) struck out two in a perfect inning to win, and Carlos Estévez worked the ninth for his major league-leading 37th save. Ryan Zeferjahn (6-5) was tagged with the loss.
Angels starter Kyle Hendricks pitched well, allowing two runs on three hits over six innings. Royals starter Noah Cameron gave up three runs on five hits in five frames.
Key Moment:
After Perez tied the game in the seventh, Erceg shut down the Angels in order in the eighth, setting up Witt’s game-winner.
Key Stat:
Perez’s homer gave him 495 career RBIs at Kauffman Stadium, moving him past Frank White (494) for third-most in the ballpark’s history. Only George Brett (839) and Hal McRae (534) have more.
Up Next:
The Angels head home to open a three-game set against the Athletics, sending José Soriano (10-9, 3.68 ERA) to face Mason Barnett (0-1, 11.25 ERA).
