How KC Royals ended their 8-game losing streak, walking off the visiting Orioles
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- The Kansas City Royals ended a eight-game losing streak by beating the Orioles 6-5.
- Maikel Garcia scored the walk-off run on a wild pitch from Orioles reliever Ryan Helsley.
- Royals offense produced multiple RBIs against Shane Baz and chased him in the seventh.
The Kansas City Royals were locked in another close game Tuesday night. They needed their offense and bullpen — two sources of frustration this season — to push them across the finish line.
Both groups did enough. The Royals (8-16) beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 at Kauffman Stadium to snap an eight-game losing streak.
Maikel Garcia was the hero. He and Bobby Witt Jr. drew walks in the ninth inning. They navigated their way around the bases until Garcia scored on a wild pitch from Orioles right-hander Ryan Helsley.
“It feels amazing,” Garcia said. “You know, there’s nothing better like winning games.”
The Orioles dropped to 11-13. Helsley took the loss.
So how did KC get back into the win column? Let’s start with the offense.
Royals prove up to RISP-y business
The Royals did a better job with runners in scoring position (RISP) while Orioles starter Shane Baz was in the game.
Baz allowed three earned runs. In the second inning, Royals designated hitter Carter Jensen crushed a one-out double. He later scored on a Michael Massey sacrifice fly as the Royals attempted to climb out of an early deficit.
Three innings later, Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino came through with RBIs of their own. Garcia recorded an RBI single and later stole a base.
Pasquantino drove Garcia home with a sacrifice fly. This tied the game 3-3 and gave the Royals a bit of much-needed momentum.
“There were so many good things that happened throughout that game,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “... The quality of the at-bats to set that up, against a guy like that, that was remarkable. And the fight and the guys to continue to stay in it. Down three, you know, get down, battle back and get the lead. Give it up and be able to stay with it.”
Baz pitched until the seventh. He threw 98 pitches before Royals chased him on Kyle Isbel’s double. Isbel made it to third on a wild pitch, setting the stage for Bobby Witt Jr. to add another sacrifice fly.
This time, the Royals claimed their first lead. Their 4-3 advantage set the stage for KC’s bullpen to slam the door.
But Royals reliever Matt Strahm ran into trouble in the eighth inning. He allowed a two-run homer to Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman — another in a long line of late leads blown by the bullpen this season.
Royals second baseman Michael Massey attoned for Strahm’s with his own solo homer. The blast tied the game at 5 and took Strahm off the hook.
“Nice to get a win and be able to tie that up there,” Massey said. “And then finish it in the ninth.”
It was Massey’s first homer since Sept. 19, 2025 against the Toronto Blue Jays. And with Garcia’s heroics, the Royals were able to even this series 1-1. Now they have a chance to win the three-game set outright on Wednesday afternoon.
Kris Bubic spins quality start
Royals left-handed starter Kris Bubic took the Orioles’ best shot on Tuesday night.
He surrendered a three-run homer to Baltimore first baseman Coby Mayo in the second inning. He grooved a 91.5 mph fastball and it traveled 439 feet over the left-field wall.
But Bubic settled in and kept the deficit manageable while relying on his offense to chip away at the plate.
“I mean it’s as simple as just getting ahead in the count,” Bubic said. “I’m sure the numbers will tell the story, too. But when I get ahead in the count, it just makes my life a lot easier, as any pitcher would say. And when I don’t, it makes it a little tougher.”
The Royals lefty relied on his changeup. The pitch generated 19 swings and four whiffs. He used it to keep Baltimore’s hitters off-balance, pairing it with his four-seam fastball and breaking pitches.
“Anytime you get a heavy right-handed lineup, the changeup is probably going to be a factor,” Bubic said. “We were able to mix in both fastballs as well, just to kind of keep them off.”
While he didn’t generate a lot of swing-and-miss action Tuesday, Bubic made the Orioles put the baseball in play. And then he relied on his defense. Bubic gave up three runs on five hits and three walks across his six innings, striking out three.
“It was a grind all night,” he said. “Not just for myself, but for the team.”
What’s next: Royals right-hander Michael Wacha (2-0, 1.00 ERA) will start opposite Orioles righty Chris Bassitt (0-2, 6.19 ERA) in Wednesday’s finale at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. Central Time.
This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 10:00 PM.
