Carter Jensen’s two-run, walk-off single capped a four-run 10th inning which helped the Kansas City Royals rally for a 7-6 victory over the visiting San Diego Padres on Friday night.
The Padres scored three times in the top of the 10th, beginning with Miguel Andujar’s third double of the night down the right field line against Lucas Erceg (4-3) to score the automatic runner. Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with an RBI single, and Xander Bogaerts made it 6-3 with a sacrifice fly.
However, Michael Massey’s third hit of the game drove in the first run of the bottom of the 10th off Kyle Hart (0-2) . Isaac Collins’ RBI groundout left runners on second and third for the Royals, then Jensen delivered his third hit through a drawn-in left side of the infield to score two and snap a five-game skid.
In the bottom of the ninth of a 3-3 game, San Diego closer Mason Miller loaded the bases with nobody out before striking out Josh Rojas, Lane Thomas and Vinnie Pasquantino to force extra innings.
The Royals broke a 2-2 tie with Massey’s two-out RBI single in the eighth. However, with San Diego down to its final out and nobody on base, Ty France sent an Alex Lange pitch over the left-center field wall.
San Diego’s Michael King grinded through 97 pitches, allowing four hits and two walks but only one run on a solo homer to Thomas in the second.
Meanwhile, Seth Lugo yielded four hits and two walks over six solid innings, giving up two runs (one earned).
Thomas opened the scoring in the second by sending that King pitch over the fountains and into the seats in left-center.
The Padres broke through against Lugo in the fifth. The veteran right-hander hit France, who went to third on an Andujar double. Both scored when second baseman Massey committed a fielding error on Luis Campusano’s grounder
However, some poor Padres defense allowed Kansas City to tie it in the sixth. With Bradgley Rodriguez on the mound, Thomas singled and Pasquantino was hit by a pitch. Salvador Perez then grounded to shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who threw wildly to second base on the force attempt, allowing Thomas to score.
Rodriguez struck out the next batter and then induced a double play to keep the game level.
