Royals pulled off an improbable comeback Tuesday. It could end up being a big deal
The Kansas City Royals had gone cold at the wrong time. After a strong 10-game homestand last week at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals were scuffling against a pair of American League Central rivals.
Or so it seemed.
The White Sox entered Monday’s action with 47 victories. The Royals had swept them earlier this month. All signs pointed to the Royals being favored in the final August road series.
For 17 innings, it seemed the White Sox had flipped the script.
The Royals’ offensive woes continued at Rate Field — until the eighth inning Tuesday. Then, the Royals found a way to shift momentum back in their favor.
The Royals scored five late runs against the White Sox. The club battered Chicago relievers Jordan Leasure and Grant Taylor in the final frames. Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey each recorded two-run singles to ignite the Royals’ offense in a 5-4 come-from-behind victory.
“The key is just fight,” Garcia said. “You know, the game doesn’t end until there’s 27 outs. You have to keep fighting and keep going. And we knew we had a chance to come back in the game.”
Garcia halved a four-run deficit in the eighth inning. Massey produced the game-tying runs in the ninth. From there, Kyle Isbel brought home the go-ahead run with an RBI.
“I mean, the at-bats in that inning were just incredible,” Isbel said. “I think the momentum kind of led from the inning before, getting those couple of runs and (being) able to get on the board there. It was a slow start, but that’s why we play 27 outs.”
The Royals (68-65) roared back to win at Rate Field. And they put themselves in position to possibly gain ground on the Seattle Mariners later on Tuesday night.
More on that later.
A cold opening
A day after recording just two hits against White Sox rookie starter Shane Smith, the Royals were shut down again by veteran hurler Martin Perez.
Perez outdueled Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen on Tuesday. He allowed one hit while striking out five batters in seven innings. Perez mixed in his sinker and changeup to keep the Royals off balance. Other times, he utilized his cutter to get ahead in favorable counts.
“You have to give Perez credit,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It seemed like everything we were trying to do, he was doing the opposite.”
The Royals didn’t log a hit until the fourth inning. Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a leadoff single in the frame.
Perez remained unfazed. He was able to get Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino to ground into a double play the next at-bat. Salvador Perez would fly out to end the inning and keep the deficit at a run.
“I’m sure we chased a little bit, too, you know, some of the changeups,” Quatraro said. “But he knows how to pitch.”
The White Sox (48-84) got to Lorenzen early. Rookie shortstop Colson Montgomery belted a solo home run off the left-field foul pole in the second inning. Chicago scored three runs in the sixth to chase Lorenzen.
“I feel like I’m throwing the ball really well,” Lorenzen said. “It’s just the game of baseball can be frustrating at times.”
Lorenzen allowed four earned runs in five innings. In the sixth, he ran into trouble and left the bases loaded for incoming reliever John Schreiber.
The White Sox were able to score twice with Schreiber on the mound. He surrendered an RBI single to Lenyn Sosa and threw a wild pitch as another run scored.
Both runs were charged to Lorenzen.
The Royals fell behind 4-0. But then the offense began its comeback while showing a resiliency that has characterized the team this season.
With the win, the Royals gained ground in the AL Wild Card standings. KC currently sits at 3 1/2 games behind the Seattle Mariners, and the deficit could shrink Tuesday night.
“I mean, that’s why we’re in it that late into the season,” Lorenzen said. “It’s games like that. If we don’t win games like that, we are a few more back and in a different position. So those are huge wins to be able to come back late. Exciting and momentum-building.”
The Mariners have won two consecutive games and host the San Diego Padres at T-Mobile Park this week.
A fiery ending
The Royals’ offense was humming in recent weeks. Prior to Monday’s game, the Royals had homered in 14 consecutive games. And they entered averaging 5.09 runs per game since the All-Star Break.
Pasquantino had homered in six of his last eight games. He also was recently named AL Player of the Week for his red-hot stretch.
Overall, the Royals had scored at least five runs in 20 of their last 35 games. They also ranked eighth in the majors with 1.51 homers per game since the Midsummer Classic.
The numbers favored the Royals. Still, the White Sox found a way to stymie their offensive outburst with quality pitching.
And yet, the Royals worked together to rekindle their offensive spark. The lineup finally broke through with a consistent approach at the plate. The Royals recorded nine hits on Tuesday — and all were singles.
“I think it’s just a lot of belief,” Massey said. “You know, this team has done that a lot of times, so we are never out of it.”
This season, the Royals are 9-3 against the White Sox.
What’s next: The Royals conclude their series against the White Sox on Wednesday. Rookie right-hander Ryan Bergert (1-1, 2.79 ERA) will start opposite right-hander Aaron Civale (3-8, 5.02 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. Central.
This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 9:43 PM.
