Leody Taveras’ grand slam highlighted a five-run 12th inning, after Samuel Basallo forced extras with a two-out, opposite-field RBI single in the ninth, and the Baltimore Orioles handed the host Kansas City Royals an eighth straight loss with Monday night’s 7-5 victory.
Baltimore had three hits through 11 innings, but tripled that total in the 12th, when 21-year-old catcher Basallo broke a 2-2 tie with his second RBI single. Then with the bags full, Taveras sent a pitch from Alex Lange (0-2) over the center-field wall for his first grand slam, which helped the Orioles win for just the second time in seven contests.
The Orioles managed only Taylor Ward’s first-inning double through the first eight innings. Then in the ninth, Kansas City’s Lucas Erceg walked three batters, and with two out and runners on first and second, Basallo lined a hit to left to tie things at 1-1.
Kansas City’s Seth Lugo, who dropped his ERA to 1.15 in five 2026 starts, allowed Ward’s double, and also walked four over seven strong innings. Meanwhile, Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish yielded 10 hits and three walks, but only Jac Caglianone’s homer, while also striking out seven on 104 pitches over 5 1/3 innings.
Nick Loftin had a three-run double in the 12th, while Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez each had three of the 14 hits for Kansas City, which stranded 16 runners, including the bases loaded in three different innings without scoring. The Royals’ eight-game losing streak is their longest since dropping 10 straight in 2023.
Kansas City filled bases with one out in the first, but came up empty after Carter Jensen grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. The Royals, though, needed only one swing from Caglianone an inning later to go up 1-0.
They loaded the bases again in the third, this time with nobody out. But Bradish got Michael Massey to ground into a pitcher-to-home force out, then fanned Caglianone and Isaac Collins.
In the sixth, the bags were filled with Royals and two out. However, Baltimore’s Rico Garcia, who has not allowed a run or hit in 11 innings of 11 appearances this season, struck out Vinnie Pasquantino.
Anthony Nunez (1-0) allowed an unearned run over two innings for the win.
