How the Royals offense turned a pitching gem into a gut-punch loss vs. Baltimore
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals lost after Leody Taveras hit a 12th-inning grand slam in the extra frames.
- Kansas City stranded 16 runners and went 5-for-21 with runners in scoring position.
- Seth Lugo tossed seven scoreless innings, then the bullpen surrendered the lead.
When things are going bad, it’s easy for mistakes to be magnified.
And turn into boos ... and losses.
The Kansas City Royals found that out Monday. The Royals didn’t execute in key offensive situations and it cost them in a 7-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
“It’s just frustrating to be in this situation here,” Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. said. “Just because you look back two months ago, a month ago, whatever, no one in here would believe that we are technically, whatever, the worst team in baseball.”
“We believe in each and every (person) in here. And that’s how we’ve just got to go about it.”
The Royals were in control throughout much of the night, thanks almost entirely to their pitching staff. Seth Lugo led the charge early — aided by a Jac Caglianone solo home run — before the KC bullpen, attempting to preserve a 1-0 lead, left the door ajar.
Lucas Erceg blew a save and sent the game to extra innings. The Orioles, who had six hits all night and scored only one run through 10 innings, pulled out a comeback win on a Leody Taveras grand slam in the 12th inning.
The Royals (7-16) have lost eight consecutive games.
“I mean, we feel terrible,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s a game you think you have and it gets away. And it’s back and forth in extra innings. It’s a great rally at the end, but came up short. It’s a loss, so that’s extremely frustrating.”
Here’s how Monday’s game played out...
Jac Caglianone gave the offense a jolt
Caglianone belted his first home run of the 2026 season. The Royals slugger turned around a 95-mph fastball from Orioles starter Kyle Bradish in the second inning.
The blast traveled 437 feet. And it gave the Royals an early 1-0 lead.
Caglianone entered Monday’s action with one RBI in 63 at-bats. The solo homer was his first since Sept. 19, 2025 against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium.
That homer stood as the Royals’ lone run until extra innings. The club recorded 10 hits against Bradish but failed to capitalize on multiple scoring chances.
In the third inning, the Royals loaded the bases with no outs. It was a prime chance to extend their short lead. However, the club went down in order as Michael Massey grounded into a force play at home and both Caglianone and Isaac Collins struck out.
A similar scenario occurred in the sixth. This time, Caglianone and Collins were aboard with no outs, only to be stranded on the basepaths. Kyle Isbel struck out and Maikel Garcia popped out to second base.
Witt drew a walk against Orioles reliever Rico Garcia to load the bases. Yet, Vinnie Pasquantino struck out to end the scoring threat.
The Royals entered Monday batting .195 with runners in scoring position. And they didn’t fare better against the Orioles. KC finished 5-for-21 with RISP and left 16 men on base.
Royals’ pitching started strong ... until extras
Royals starter Seth Lugo did all he could to preserve the lead. Lugo tossed seven scoreless innings and logged seven strikeouts. He allowed one hit and walked three batters.
Lugo induced 40 swings and 11 whiffs. He had good command of his pitches — in particular his cutter and curveball. And the curveball was utilized 42% of the time during his third trip through the Orioles’ lineup, per Statcast.
“There were a couple of guys that I know they could hit a good breaker that’s sharp like that,” Lugo said. “So I took some off for them. But the other guys are the opposite. So I added some more velocity for those guys.”
The Royals turned to their maligned bullpen late. And the relief unit gave up another lead down the stretch.
Matt Strahm struck out the side in the eighth inning, but Erceg allowed three walks and blew a save opportunity. Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo hit an RBI single to tie the score at 1-1.
“It’s unacceptable, walk three guys,” Erceg said. “It’s (expletive) horrible. I’ve got to be better.”
In extras, the Royals had another scoring chance. However, Lane Thomas, who came in as a defensive replacement, was tagged out trying to advance to third. The ball had rolled away from third baseman Weston Wilson after a shallow fly ball was thrown his way. Thomas tried to advance but was thrown out.
The Orioles (11-12) didn’t miss their chance. Dylan Beavers produced the go-ahead run in the 11th. Witt later tied it at 2-2 before Basallo and Taveras helped Baltimore put the game away in the 12th.
Taveras hit the grand slam off Royals reliever Alex Lange as KC dropped the series opener.
What’s next: Royals left-hander Kris Bubic (2-1, 3.97 ERA) will start opposite Orioles right-hander Shane Baz (0-2, 4.91 ERA) on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. Central.
This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 10:47 PM.
