
Michael Lorenzen spins gem as Royals blank Diamondbacks
Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, who took two out of the three games in Arizona. Kyle Isbel went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Vinnie Pasquantino was also 2-for-4 with two doubles.
Lorenzen (5-8) pitched seven innings and allowed just two hits and a walk to record his first victory on the mound since beating the Chicago White Sox on June 8. He also matched his season high with seven strikeouts.
The Diamondbacks, who entered Sunday averaging 5.2 runs per game, were shut out for just the second time this season, with the other instance occurring on April 11. They were also held to just three hits, tying a season low that's happened four other times -- including Thursday's 7-2 loss over the San Francisco Giants.
Lorenzen did not give up a hit until Randal Grichuk doubled with two out in the fifth.
Arizona pitcher Anthony DeSclafani (0-1) made his first start for the club that signed him as a free agent three weeks ago and his first major league start in nearly two years. The 35-year-old righty, who missed the second half of 2023 and all of last season due to an elbow injury, stymied the Royals over the first three innings. That changed, though, as Kansas City batters got their second look at him.
Witt took DeSclafani deep to left center on the first pitch he saw in the fourth inning for a solo home run, his 12th of the season. An out later, Perez blasted another solo shot, his 10th, to nearly the same location that made it 2-0.
DeSclafani hit Jac Caglianone to start the fifth and would depart after giving up singles to Nick Loftin and John Rave, the latter of which scored Caglianone. The D-backs starter struck out six and walked none but gave up four earned runs on four hits and two hit batters in four-plus innings.

Royals place LHP Daniel Lynch IV (elbow) on 15-day injured list
In a corresponding move, the Royals recalled right-hander Jonathan Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha.
Lynch, 28, pitched one scoreless inning of relief on Saturday and allowed two walks with one strikeout in a 7-1 road loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He is 3-2 with one save, a 2.59 ERA, 22 walks and 29 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings over 39 games (two starts).
The Royals selected Lynch in the first round (34th overall) of the 2018 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia. He is 16-25 with two saves, a 4.62 ERA, 135 walks and 279 strikeouts in 337 innings over 106 games (56 starts) in parts of five seasons.
Bowlan, 28, is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA, seven walks and 12 strikeouts in 15 innings over 12 relief appearances for Kansas City this season. He is a career 1-3 with a 4.35 ERA, 10 walks and 18 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings over 15 games (two starts) in parts of three seasons.
He is 2-0 with three saves, a 1.90 ERA, six walks and 30 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings over 17 appearances at Omaha. Kansas City selected Bowlan in the second round of the 2018 draft out of Memphis.

Ryne Nelson retires 16 straight as Diamondbacks knock off Royals
The Diamondbacks snapped a three-game losing streak and evened the three-game series.
The Royals had won three of their last four.
Nelson (5-2) allowed a run and four hits over seven innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out five.
Freddy Fermin's looping single to right center broke the spell of 16 consecutive batters retired with one out in the sixth. Jonathan India lined a single to center one out later to send Fermin to third. Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a run-scoring single to right to put the Royals on the board and make the score 4-1.
Nelson got help in preventing further damage in the inning when centerfielder Alek Thomas made a sliding catch coming in on Vinnie Pasquantino's liner with two out and runners on first and third.
Kansas City starter and loser Michael Wacha (4-9) gave up four runs and four hits in four-plus innings with four walks and four strikeouts.
Arizona took a 2-0 lead in the third on RBI singles by Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez.
Lourdes Gurriel's two-run double in the fifth doubled the lead to 4-0 and James McCann's RBI double in the seventh made it 5-1.
Grichuk added his two-run homer in the seventh. The drive to right-centerfield was originally called an inside the park home run. But replays showed the ball actually went over the fence, hit a chair and ricocheted back onto the field. It was Grichuk's fifth home run.
Diamondbacks right fielder and leadoff man Corbin Carroll returned after being out since June 18, when he suffered a chip fracture of his left wrist. He went hitless in five at-bats.

Vinnie Pasquantino's 2 HRs, 6 RBIs lead Royals past D-backs
Kris Bubic (7-6) allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking three for the Royals, who have won three of four after a 1-8 stretch to end June. Bobby Witt Jr. added three hits, two runs and an RBI in the win.
Arizona starter Eduardo Rodriguez (3-5) permitted a career-high-tying nine runs (eight earned) on a career-high 12 hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked none. Eugenio Suarez belted his 28th home run of the season for the Diamondbacks, who have lost three straight and seven of nine.
Kansas City led 3-0 before an out was recorded. Jonathan India was hit by a pitch, Witt singled and Pasquantino blasted a homer to right field.
Arizona cut into the deficit in the bottom of the first. Ketel Marte led off with a single and Geraldo Perdomo walked before Lourdes Gurriel Jr. advanced both runners with a groundout. Suarez drove in the Diamondbacks' first run with a sacrifice fly, and Josh Naylor followed with an RBI single to make it 3-2.
The Royals added three more runs in the second. Freddy Fermin and John Rave singled before India reached on a fielding error by second baseman Marte. Witt and Pasquantino singled to drive in a run apiece, and Salvador Perez's RBI groundout extended the Royals' advantage to 6-2.
In the fourth, Pasquantino hit his second home run of the game and 14th of the season, a two-run shot, to give the Royals an 8-2 lead.
Kansas City's Mark Canha began the fifth with his first home run of the year, pushing the margin to seven runs. Two batters later, Rodriguez was replaced by John Curtiss, who threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Diamondbacks got one run back in the sixth on Suarez's home run to left.
Daniel Lynch IV and Sam Long each threw a scoreless inning in relief to seal Kansas City's victory.

Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals salvage split with Mariners
Seth Lugo (6-5) pitched 6 1/3 strong innings for the Royals, who won for just the third time in 12 games. The right-hander allowed one run on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Carlos Estevez got the final four outs for his 24th save of the season despite a harrowing ninth.
Dominic Canzone led off with a homer to straightaway center to pull Seattle within a run.
Pinch hitter Miles Mastrobuoni blooped a hit to right, and J.P. Crawford lined a one-out single to left, with a wild pitch advancing both runners. Estevez caught Julio Rodriguez looking at a called third strike and got Cal Raleigh, the American League Player of the Month for June, to ground out feebly to second to end the game.
Seattle's Jorge Polanco went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a homer leading off the fourth inning that opened the scoring.
The Royals trailed 1-0 heading into the seventh before scoring three times.
Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India drew one-out walks off reliever Casey Legumina (4-4), who was replaced by Carlos Vargas. Bobby Witt Jr. greeted Vargas with a line-drive single to left-center, knocking in Isbel with the tying run as India advanced to third. Witt stole second, and Pasquantino grounded a single to right against a drawn-in infield to plate two more runs.
Mariners starter Logan Evans, recalled from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day, pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings. The right-hander allowed three hits, walked one and fanned three.
Evans retired the side in order in each of the first three innings before walking India leading off the fourth. After striking out Witt, Evans grazed Pasquantino on the back foot with a pitch and Maikel Garcia grounded a single to left to load the bases. Evans got Salvador Perez to pop out and John Rave to ground out, ending the inning.
Evans was replaced after allowing a two-out double to Perez in the sixth, with Legumina issuing a walk before Nick Loftin flied out to right to complete the inning.

Randy Arozarena's latest homer leads Mariners past Royals
Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh, named the American League's starting catcher for the All-Star Game earlier in the day, got just his second night off in 86 games this season.
Arozarena led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a 418-foot blast to straightaway center off Royals reliever John Schreiber, tying the score at 1-all. It was his 12th long ball of the year.
The Mariners broke the tie with two runs in the seventh.
Ben Williamson led off with a double to right-center before Cole Young hit a comebacker to the mound. Left-hander Angel Zerpa (3-1) tried to catch Williamson off second, but Williamson was able to slide back safely to leave runners at first and second.
J.P. Crawford dropped a sacrifice bunt down the third base line to put both runners in scoring position.
The Royals brought in Steven Cruz to face Julio Rodriguez, who hit a hard one-hopper that went off the heel of third baseman Maikel Garcia's glove. The ball ricocheted high into the air, allowing Williamson to score. Arozarena then lifted a sac fly to center to give the Mariners a 3-1 lead.
Seattle reliever Matt Brash, making his 20th appearance, allowed his first run of the season in the eighth. However, Andres Munoz tossed a perfect ninth inning for his 19th save. Carlos Vargas (3-5) got the victory with a scoreless seventh.
The Royals opened the scoring in the first. Witt singled with one out, stole second and scored on Salvador Perez's two-out single off the left field wall.
Those two teamed up again in the eighth. Witt led off with a single to right, moved to second on Vinnie Pasquantino's hit and scored on Perez's line-drive single to center.
Both starters pitched well, though neither went the requisite five innings to qualify for a victory.
Royals rookie left-hander Noah Cameron pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed four hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Cameron was lifted after the Mariners loaded the bases in the fifth, with Schreiber coming in to get Rodriguez to hit an inning-ending flyout to center on the first pitch.
Mariners ace Logan Gilbert, still working his way back to peak form after missing seven weeks with a right elbow flexor strain, also went 4 2/3 innings. He gave up one run on three hits, with three walks and seven strikeouts.

Salvador Perez knocks in 3 as Royals double up Mariners
Five Royals combined for 4 1/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief as Kansas City won for just the second time in the past 10 games. Lucas Erceg (3-2) got the victory after quelling a seventh-inning jam, and Carlos Estevez worked a perfect ninth for his 23rd save.
Randy Arozarena homered for the Mariners, his third in the first two games of the four-game series. Seattle took the opener 6-2 on Monday.
The Royals scored once in the first inning on Tuesday and twice in the second off Seattle right-hander Emerson Hancock (3-5).
Jonathan India led off the game with a ground-rule double to right-center field and scored on Maikel Garcia's two-out single to center.
Rookie Jac Caglianone drew a leadoff walk in the second and scored on Nick Loftin's double to left. John Rave lined a single to right to move Loftin to third, Kyle Isbel's RBI forceout made it 3-0.
Jorge Polanco led off the bottom of the second with a single but was picked off by Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen. Arozarena then hit a solo shot into the Mariners' bullpen in left-center.
The Royals added two more runs in the fifth. Bobby Witt Jr. reached on an infield single and Vinnie Pasquantino doubled to left-center, the ball just eluding diving center fielder Julio Rodriguez. An out later, Perez laced a two-run double off the wall in right-center, on a ball Rodriguez misplayed, to increase the lead to 5-1.
With the exception of Arozarena's homer, Lorenzen cruised through the first four innings, but he couldn't make it through the fifth to qualify for the victory.
Luke Raley led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to center and took third on a groundout. Ben Williamson hit a double down the right field line to score Raley, and with two outs, J.P. Crawford blooped a single to left to make it 5-3.
With Rodriguez coming to the plate, the Royals turned to John Schreiber, who got the Seattle star to line out to right to end the inning.
Lorenzen gave up three runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings, with no walks and five strikeouts. Hancock permitted five runs on seven hits over five innings, with three walks and one strikeout.
The Royals scored their final run in the ninth, spoiling the major league debut of Seattle right-hander Juan Burgos. Witt doubled with one out, stole third and scored on Perez's broken-bat single to center with two outs.

Randy Arozarena's two homers lead Mariners past Royals
Mariners starter George Kirby (2-4) allowed one run on three hits over six innings as the Mariners earned their second victory in a row and their sixth in the past nine games. The right-hander didn't walk a batter and struck out five.
The Royals lost for the eighth time in nine games.
Kansas City starter Michael Wacha (4-8) cruised through the first 3 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on one hit, before Arozarena went deep to right-center to tie the score at 1-all.
The Mariners broke the tie with four runs in the fifth. Cole Young, J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodriguez began the inning with singles to load the bases. Raleigh gave Seattle the lead with a sacrifice fly to right before Arozarena hit a three-run shot to center to make it 5-1.
Wacha went five innings and allowed five runs on eight hits, with two walks and one strikeout.
Raleigh added to the Mariners' lead with a blast to center leading off the bottom of the seventh against Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV.
Bobby Witt Jr. drove in both runs for the Royals, who have scored just 20 runs over their past nine games -- with nine of those coming in their lone victory in that span.
Kansas City scored its first run with a two-out rally in the third inning. Kyle Isbel and Johnathan India singled before Witt hit a liner off the glove of diving second baseman Cole Young to plate Isbel.
The Royals added a run in the eighth off Trent Thornton after loading the bases with one out as John Rave singled, Isbel walked and India was hit by a pitch. Rave scored as Witt grounded into a forceout.

Dodgers win sixth straight series, extend Royals' misery
After opener Lou Trivino allowed a run on the first two Kansas City batters of the game, Wrobleski (4-2) came on in the second inning and yielded three hits with a walk and struck out six until Kirby Yates took over in the eighth.
Hernandez's two-run homer in the second put the Dodgers ahead for good and paved the way for a sixth consecutive winning series.
After pounding out 14 hits during Saturday's 9-5 win that snapped their 11-game home losing streak, the Royals wasted no time staying hot at the plate. Jonathan India opened the bottom of the first with a single off Trivino, then went to second on a wild pitch. Shortly after, Bobby Witt Jr. doubled off the left field wall for a 1-0 Kansas City lead.
However, that was all the offense the Royals could muster while totaling just five hits and striking out 10 times against four Dodgers pitchers Sunday.
Kris Bubic (6-6) allowed two runs, two walks and three hits and fanned five while laboring through 90 pitches over five innings for Kansas City, which has dropped seven of the last eight overall and went 1-12 at home in the month of June.
The Dodgers made Bubic work early on, as he threw 56 pitches through the first two innings. In the second, Andy Pages (two hits) singled and eventually scored on Hernandez's homer over the left-center-field wall that put Los Angeles ahead 2-1.
The visitors added another run when Smith barely cleared the center field wall against Steven Cruz in the sixth. Los Angeles plated two more in the seventh via an RBI double from Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas' run-scoring single.
Los Angeles has won 12 of the last 15.
The start of this contest was delayed a little more than an hour due to rain.

Royals top Dodgers to snap 11-game home skid
Vinnie Pasquantino led Kansas City with a three-run homer and five RBIs. Bobby Witt Jr. and Jonathan India each had four hits for the Royals, who scored one more run than they did while losing their previous six games overall.
Meanwhile, Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (5-5) allowed four hits and five walks while striking out eight over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Daniel Lynch IV yielded a solo homer to Freddie Freeman, who had three hits, in the seventh, but the potent Dodgers did not threaten until a four-run ninth.
After going an inning in each of his first two 2025 starts, Ohtani was stretched to two innings Saturday. He allowed a first-inning single to Witt and walked Maikel Garcia but got Pasquantino to hit into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play. The right-hander then retired the side in the second, completing his 27-pitch performance.
As he had done in Ohtani's first two starts, Ben Casparius (6-2) came on in the third, and the Royals wasted no time getting to the right-hander. He walked Drew Waters, allowed a two-out single to India, followed by Witt's flare double near the right-field line. Then Garcia sent a drive off the top of the left-field wall, just over the glove of a leaping Michael Conforto, for a two-run double.
The Royals broke things open in the fifth against Casparius. Kyle Isbel rapped a one-out hit and advanced to second base on center-fielder Andy Pages' error. He then scored on an India single. After Witt singled and Garcia lined out, Pasquantino found the right-center field fan area for his first homer at home since May 16, giving Kansas City a 6-0 lead.
Pasquantino doubled down the right-field line in the seventh, scoring two more. He then came home on Salvador Perez's two-base hit.
Ohtani went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts at the plate.

Dodgers hand Royals record-tying 11th straight home loss
The Royals matched a club-record 11-game home losing streak.
Ohtani sent an enticing 1-2 changeup from Noah Cameron (2-4) into the right-field fountains for his 29th homer -- and 12th in 28 games against the Royals.
However, Kansas City led 4-3 entering the fifth, when Ohtani victimized Cameron, again. After Enrique Hernandez walked to open the inning, Ohtani found the right-field gap for a triple that evened the contest. Steven Cruz entered and promptly gave up an RBI single to Mookie Betts -- the Dodgers' fourth and final hit, but enough for their ninth win in 11 games.
The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Tanner Scott (18 saves), who got rookie Jac Caglianone to ground into a first-pitch 4-6-3 game-ending double play, capped by Freddie Freeman's stellar pick at first base.
Kansas City is 0-11 at home in June, equaling the team's longest such slide set in 2023. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a two-run homer and Kyle Isbel doubled twice, but the Royals dropped their sixth straight overall.
Down 1-0, Kansas City answered in the bottom of the first. Maikel Garcia roped a two-out double and eventually scored on Salvador Perez's single to left.
The Dodgers regained the lead with their own two-out magic in the second. With a man on, Max Muncy jumped on another Cameron pitch that went over the center-field wall for a 3-1 edge.
The Royals further made Los Angeles starter Dustin May work in the bottom of the second. John Rave walked, stole second, went to third on Freddy Fermin's grounder and scored on Isbel's double that right-fielder Teoscar Hernandez appeared to misread.
Witt followed by clearing the left-center field wall to put Kansas City ahead by one.
Cameron yielded just three hits, but three walks and all five runs over a career-low four-plus innings in his ninth start.
May, meanwhile, lasted four, allowing those four runs and six hits. Lou Trivino (3-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the win.

Shane Baz dominates as Rays blank Royals again
Baz (8-3) gave up a double to the Royals' Jonathan India to begin his outing then retired the next 19 batters he faced as Kansas City's offensive struggles continued.
Baz, who entered Thursday with a 4.79 ERA, allowed three hits and a walk with nine strikeouts to earn his fifth straight win without a loss over his last seven starts.
Kansas City was shut out for the second straight game and saw their losing streak reach five games. The Royals have scored only four total runs during the skid.
India and Vinnie Pasquantino both went 2-for-4 for Kansas City.
Josh Lowe went 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Brandon Lowe extended his hitting streak to 13 games as the Rays won for the fifth time in their last six games.
Royals starter Michael Lorenzen (4-8) allowed just one Rays batter to reach base during the first three innings. Tampa Bay was finally able to put some offense together after Lorenzen retired the first two batters he faced in the fourth.
Jonathan Aranda laced a double to the right-center gap and scored on Jake Mangum's triple to nearly the same location. Josh Lowe followed with a single up the middle to make it 2-0.
Brandon Lowe and Junior Caminero hit back-to-back home runs off Lorenzen to start the sixth. Lowe's homer gave him his second 13-game hitting streak of the season.
Lorenzen went 5 2/3 innings and gave up eight hits to go with the four runs. He struck out four and walked none.
Baz cruised into the seventh inning until Pasquantino's one-out infield single to third base. Maikel Garcia followed with another single, but Baz escaped by getting Nick Loftin to ground into a double play.
India singled off Paul Gervase to start the ninth, and one out later Pasquantino bunted for a single. Pete Fairbanks entered and got Garcia to ground into a double play for his 15th save.

Drew Rasmussen, Rays blank Royals, extend K.C.'s home skid
Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe and Chandler Simpson each had two hits for the Rays, whose 11 hits were all singles. Tampa Bay has won five straight road games and 24 of its past 33 contests overall.
Rasmussen (7-5) yielded two hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings. Kevin Kelly, Garrett Cleavinger, Edwin Uceta and Pete Fairbanks (14th save) further stymied the Royals, who have managed just one run in the first two games of the current three-game set.
Kansas City has been outscored 39-12 while 0-9 at home in June. The Royals are on their longest home losing streak since a 10-game slide in 2023.
Tampa Bay did all its scoring in the second against Michael Wacha (4-7), who yielded three runs on nine hits and one walk while fanning nine in six innings. Bobby Witt Jr. doubled and Maikel Garica and Vinnie Pasquantino singled for the Royals, who are 14-26 since sitting at 24-16 through May 9.
In the decisive second inning, Christopher Morel reached on a one-out infield single, went to third on Josh Lowe's hit to right field and scored via a perfectly placed bunt toward first base by Jose Caballero.
The speedy Simpson then reached when Kansas City shortstop Witt was late on the throw to first of his grounder -- where it appeared he could have tossed to third for a forceout. Lowe then scored on a wild pitch, and Caballero came home via Danny Jansen's sacrifice bunt.
Fairbanks pitched around an error in the ninth inning to seal the victory.
Double-digit-game hitting streaks were extended by Tampa Bay's Yandy Diaz (15 games), Brandon Lowe (12) and Jonathan Aranda (10).
Meanwhile, the Royals were shut out for the fourth time in their past nine home contests.
The Rays have won four of five overall while the Royals have dropped four in a row.

Danny Jansen's HR backs Taj Bradley gem as Rays top Royals
Bradley (5-5) rolled until walking John Rave with one out in the sixth. Then, after a Kyle Isbel flyout, Jonathan India laced a ground-rule double down to right field. However, Bradley retired Bobby Witt Jr. on an inning-ending lineout to left.
The right-hander, who exited after giving up a two-out single to Salvador Perez in the seventh, had allowed 19 runs -- 13 earned -- in his previous three starts. Including six earned over 1 1/3 innings at Baltimore last Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Jansen provided the punch, and Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda each had three hits for the Rays, who are amid a 23-9 stretch.
Kansas City's Kris Bubic (6-5) allowed four runs -- two earned - on eight hits and didn't yield a walk while striking out eight through six innings. The left-hander, who had a 1.43 ERA as recently as June 10, has given up 10 earned runs over 15 2/3 innings in his last three starts.
The Royals, who got a two-out, ninth-inning RBI single from Vinnie Pasquantino to account for their only run, managed four hits and have been outscored 36-12 in eight winless games at home since a 1-0 victory over Detroit on May 31.
Bubic got the first two batters of the second inning, then allowed a single to Jose Caballero. Jansen followed by clearing the left-field fence for a 2-0 Rays lead.
Tampa Bay made it 3-0 in the fourth. Aranda opened with a single, went to third on third baseman Maikel Garcia's throwing error to second base on a double-play attempt off Jake Mangum's grounder, then scored on Jansen's sacrifice fly.
The Rays added on in the fifth via more poor defense by the Royals. Diaz reached on an infield hit, went to second when Curtis Mead singled and eventually scored on Bubic's poor toss to first base off Aranda's short tapper.

Jose Iglesias the hero as Padres escape Royals
Luis Arraez started the winning rally with a leadoff single off Daniel Lynch IV (3-2) and Xander Bogaerts lined a one-out double to left-center to push Arraez to third. Kansas City inserted John Schneider to face Iglesias but he slapped an 0-2 pitch up the middle. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. gloved it but his off-balance throw home wasn't in time.
Robert Suarez (2-3) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win, getting help from his defense. Freddy Fermin ripped a two-out double to right-center after Drew Waters walked. But Waters was called out at home for running out of the baseline after missing the plate as he dove to avoid the tag of catcher Elias Diaz.
Iglesias pinch-hit in the seventh inning and tied the game on a two-run single to right. That hit no-decisioned both starters after strong outings.
Kansas City's Seth Lugo allowed just two hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings with no walks and seven strikeouts, while San Diego's Randy Vasquez pitched a season-high seven innings, yielding five hits and two runs with two walks and two strikeouts.
The first 6 1/2 innings were dominated completely by pitching, except for a mistake in the top of the sixth by Vasquez. After Vinnie Pasquantino's one-out single, Salvador Perez pounced on a cutter that drifted over the middle. He yanked it an estimated 412 feet over the wall in left-center, his ninth homer.
Lugo mowed down 18 straight hitters after Fernando Tatis Jr. slapped a leadoff single in the first. But the Padres got a leadoff double from Jackson Merrill in the seventh, then tied it against the Royals' bullpen.
Angel Zerpa issued two-out walks to Gavin Sheets and Bogaerts to fill the bases. After Iglesias was announced as a pinch-hitter for Jake Cronenworth, Kansas City lifted Zerpa for Lucas Erceg. But Iglesias poked an 0-2 pitch to right to score Merrill and Sheets, evening the score at 2.

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s HR backs Dylan Cease as Padres top Royals
Tatis broke a streak of 101 plate appearances without a homer, dating back to May 27, by lining a Taylor Clarke fastball an estimated 380 feet into the seats in left-center field with two outs. It was his 14th homer of the year, scoring Jose Iglesias and Bryce Johnson, who singled with one out.
Dylan Cease (3-6) picked up the win, allowing just three hits and a run in 6 2/3 innings, with three walks and four strikeouts. Noah Cameron (2-3) absorbed the loss, permitting two runs on five hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings while whiffing two.
San Diego initiated the scoring in the second. Gavin Sheets led off with a double to the wall in left-center and reached third on Xander Bogaerts' single. Jake Cronenworth then hit into a fielder's choice that scored Sheets.
The Royals tied it in the third when Drew Waters led off with a single and scored on John Rave's double to right-center. But they failed to capitalize on a chance for a bigger inning. Maikel Garcia drew a two-out walk, but Vinnie Pasquantino grounded out to second, stranding men at second and third.
The Padres countered in their half of the third. After Martin Maldonado and Tatis worked one-out walks, Luis Arraez poked a single into center that scored Maldonado, putting them ahead for good.
Kansas City missed on a good opportunity in the fourth when Jac Caglianone was clipped by a pitch with one out and Mark Canha singled. But Waters lined out and Rave flied out, starting a stretch that saw Cease retire 10 of the last 11 men he faced before Jeremiah Estrada relieved him in the seventh.
Bogaerts finished with two hits, giving him 10 hits in his last 12 at-bats dating back to Wednesday night. He was the only player in the game with multiple hits.

Royals score late, hold off Padres
Perez's hit knocked in Maikel Garcia, who opened the inning with a single off Jason Adam (5-3) and reached scoring position via Vinnie Pasquantino's walk. Drew Waters tacked on insurance later in the inning with a two-out single that plated pinch runner John Rave.
Reliever Lucas Erceg (2-2) got the win despite allowing a game-tying two-run single by Gavin Sheets in the bottom of the seventh that capped San Diego's rally from a 4-0 deficit. Steven Cruz pitched a scoreless eighth and Carlos Estevez worked the ninth for his MLB-high 22nd save in 25 chances despite giving up a leadoff homer to Manny Machado, his 12th of the year.
Sheets' hit no-decisioned both starters. Kansas City's Michael Lorenzen went the first 5 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and two runs with three walks and four strikeouts. Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta lasted 4 2/3 innings, permitting six hits and four runs while walking two and whiffing three.
Coming off a two-hitter over seven innings Sunday in an 8-2 win at Arizona, Pivetta ran into instant trouble. He hung a curve to Bobby Witt Jr. with one out in the first and Witt blasted it into the seats in left for his 10th homer.
Pivetta was able to keep the Royals in check until the fifth. After walks to Freddy Fermin and Nick Loftin, Kyle Isbel bunted them over. Jonathan India cashed them in by cracking a three-run homer to left-center, his fourth.
Luis Arraez got San Diego on the board in its half of the fifth by stroking a two-out RBI single to right-center that scored Trenton Brooks. Pinch hitter Jose Iglesias made it 4-2 in the sixth by poking a run-scoring single to right that plated Xander Bogaerts.
Bogaerts finished with three hits, giving him eight straight hits, dating back to Wednesday. The streak ended when he popped out in the ninth.
Garcia bagged three hits for Kansas City.

Jac Caglianone hits first 2 career homers as Royals beat Rangers
The Royals won all three games of the set, producing their first series sweep since capturing all four games at home against the Chicago White Sox on May 5-8.
Wacha (4-6) went six innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out five. Wacha worked out of a two-on, no-out jam in the fifth and didn't give up a hit until Wyatt Langford's one-out single in the sixth.
Carlos Estevez pitched the ninth inning for Kansas City to earn his second save of the series and his 21st of the season.
It was a planned bullpen game for the Rangers, who are working with a shortened rotation with both Nathan Eovaldi and Tyler Mahle on the shelf with injuries. Shawn Armstrong (2-2) started for Texas, allowing two runs on Pasquantino's homer in the first before being lifted in place of Jacob Latz.
The Royals set the tone early as Pasquantino ripped a two-out, two-run home run over the right field fence in the first inning to build a 2-0 lead. Much ballyhooed prospect Caglianone added a solo shot off Latz in the second inning for his first career home run, expanding the advantage to 3-0.
Texas culled its deficit to 3-1 when Langford raced home on a two-out double by Marcus Semien in the sixth. Wacha was able to wiggle off the hook by getting Adolis Garcia to fly out to end the frame on his 97th pitch of the game, his second most of the season.
Caglianone added another solo home run in the ninth off Robert Garcia to provide the Royals an insurance run.

Maikel Garcia's 4 RBIs guide Royals past Rangers
The Royals, who carried a six-game losing streak into this three-game set, have taken the first two games to clinch their first series victory since winning two of three May 16-18 in San Francisco.
Kansas City's Kris Bubic (6-4) bounced back from his worst performance of the season by allowing three runs while scattering nine hits. Bubic walked one batter and struck out six before leaving with one out in the sixth.
Carlos Estevez, the fifth Kansas City pitcher, threw a perfect ninth inning to earn his 20th save. Garcia added a single and two runs to pace the Royals' seven-hit attack.
Rangers starter Patrick Corbin (4-6) allowed a season-high four runs on six hits and two walks over five innings while striking out four. The outing snapped his career-high streak of giving up three or fewer runs at 12 starts.
The Rangers, who entered this series on a four-game winning streak, lost despite racking up 12 hits. Sam Haggerty and Wyatt Langford had three hits each and Adolis Garcia added two.
Texas jumped to the front in the first as Haggerty opened the inning with a triple and scored on Langford's double. Langford sprinted home on Adolis Garcia's two-out single to stake Corbin to a 2-0 advantage.
That held up until the Royals leapfrogged in front in the third. Kyle Isbel scored on a single by Jonathan India and Bobby Witt Jr.'s single to left field put runners on the corners. Maikel Garcia then launched a three-run homer to left-center to put Kansas City up 4-2.
The Rangers cut into the margin in the fourth as Josh Jung and Jake Burger stroked back-to-back doubles.
Kansas City added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth off reliever Hoby Milner. Witt opened the inning with a walk, went to second on a passed ball by Kyle Higashioka and scored on Garcia's triple. Garcia scooted home on John Rave's safety squeeze when Higashioka couldn't handle Milner's throw to the plate.

Royals' Cole Ragans told to rest for four weeks
"No surgery," Quatraro told reporters. "No injection. Just rest."
Ragans, who was placed on the 15-day injured list June 11, has not pitched since June 5. If he fulfills the Royals' plan for four weeks of rest since his last outing, then the earliest the 27-year-old left-hander will resume throwing is July 4.
After earning 2024 All-Star Game recognition to highlight his 11-9 season and 3.14 ERA, Ragans has fashioned a 2-3 record with a 5.18 ERA in 10 starts this year.
While those statistics suggest Ragans has struggled, he's averaging 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings, which leads all MLB starters. According to Baseball Savant, Ragans' strong peripheral numbers give him an expected ERA of 2.61 while his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) is 2.19.