BALTIMORE (AP) — Samuel Basallo hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-3 in the opener of a three-game series between last-place teams Friday night.
Blaze Alexander also homered for Baltimore.
Jac Caglianone and Isaac Collins hit solo shots for Kansas City, which has lost three in a row and 11 of 15.
Matt Strahm (3-2) entered with the game tied at 3-all and yielded a leadoff single to Pete Alonso. Basallo then hooked a 1-2 slider just inside the foul pole in right for his 15th homer of the season and chucked his bat with both hands toward the Orioles dugout in celebration.
Baltimore led 3-2 entering the eighth, and manager Craig Albernaz allowed starter Brandon Young to stay in with only 77 pitches. But Collins capped an eight-pitch at-bat with a shot to center to chase the right-hander.
Young allowed three runs in seven-plus innings and struck out five.
Rico Garcia (4-1) relieved Young and retired all three batters he faced. Andrew Kittredge worked around Michael Massey's one-out double in the ninth for his third save and second in as many days.
Baltimore took the lead in the second when Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson delivered consecutive RBI singles against Kansas City starter Luinder Avila.
Kansas City tied it with a two-run fourth. Caglianone led off with a shot to right, and Josh Rojas’ two-out double scored Massey.
Alexander hit his fourth homer of the year in the fourth off Avila, who allowed three runs in five innings and struck out three.
Up next
Kansas City LHP Noah Cameron (5-6, 4.77 ERA) faces Baltimore RHP Kyle Bradish (5-9, 3.75) on Saturday.