The Kansas City Royals continued their winning streak, securing their fourth consecutive victory by defeating the San Diego Padres 6-5 on Friday night. The Royals' offense was powered by timely hitting and home runs from Jonathan India and Bobby Witt Jr., while Salvador Perez delivered the go-ahead single in the eighth inning.
Witt Jr. initiated the scoring early, launching a solo home run to left field in the first inning off Padres starter Nick Pivetta. The Royals maintained their lead, and in the fifth inning, Jonathan India extended it with a three-run homer, his fourth of the season, making the score 4-0.
However, the Padres battled back, chipping away at the deficit. Luis Arraez drove in a run in the fifth, and Jose Iglesias added another in the sixth, narrowing the Royals' lead to 4-2. In the seventh, Gavin Sheets delivered a clutch two-run single, tying the game at 4-4.
Despite the Padres' comeback, the Royals responded in the eighth. Maikel Garcia singled to lead off the inning, followed by a walk to Vinnie Pasquantino. Salvador Perez then stepped up and delivered the decisive blow, a single to left field that drove in Garcia and put the Royals ahead 5-4. Drew Waters added an insurance run with a two-out RBI single, extending the lead to 6-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, Manny Machado hit a solo home run off Royals closer Carlos Estévez to lead off the inning, bringing the Padres within one run. However, Estévez managed to retire the next three batters, securing his league-leading 22nd save of the season.
Royals' manager Matt Quatraro praised Michael Lorenzen's performance, noting his effective mixing of pitches and ability to execute crucial pitches. He also acknowledged Nick Pivetta's toughness and the Royals' approach to laying off his high fastball.
The Padres' loss marked their eighth defeat in the last 11 games. Manny Machado's ninth-inning home run was a bright spot, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Royals' strong performance. Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to eight straight at-bats, tying a Padres' franchise record, before popping out in the ninth.
Looking ahead, Noah Cameron is scheduled to start for the Royals against Dylan Cease for the Padres in the next game of the series.
