Samuel Basallo hit a two-run tiebreaking home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the host Baltimore Orioles to a 5-3 victory against the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.
Blaze Alexander homered in the fourth inning and was the only Oriole with two hits as they totaled nine. Baltimore has won back-to-back games following a three-game losing streak.
Pete Alonso greeted Royals reliever Matt Strahm to begin the eighth with a single and Basallo followed with his 15th homer of the season on a 2-2 slider.
Right-hander Rico Garcia (4-1) notched the victory with one inning of relief, though Baltimore starter Brandon Young did much of the heavy lifting by working seven-plus innings. Andrew Kittredge posted his third save — and second in as many days — by pitching the ninth despite giving up Michael Massey’s one-out double.
Jac Caglianone and Isaac Collins homered for the Royals, who lost their third game in a row and for the seventh time in their last 10 games. Josh Rojas joined Caglianone and Collins with two hits apiece as Kansas City totaled nine.
Royals starter Luinder Avila gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings with three walks and three strikeouts. Left-hander Strahm (3-2), the third Kansas City reliever, took the loss.
Young allowed three runs on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
The Orioles scored first on back-to-back run-scoring singles by Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson in the second inning.
Caglianone led off the fourth with his 15th home run of the season. The Royals pulled even later in the inning on Rojas’ two-out double.
Baltimore regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth on Alexander’s one-out solo homer. Alexander’s fourth long ball of the season was his first since June 21 and just his second extra-base hit since that date.
Collins’ fifth homer of the year tied the score again leading off the eighth.
The Orioles left six runners on base, all through the opening five innings.
