KANSAS CITY — Salvador Perez clubbed a two-run shot to move within one of tying the Royals’ all-time home run record, but Kansas City needed Nick Loftin’s walk-off, squeeze bunt in the ninth inning Monday night to win 4-3 against the San Francisco Giants.
San Francisco trailed 3-1 and was down to its final out in the top of the ninth, when Kansas City’s Alex Lange (1-5) allowed a single to Jung Hoo Lee. Willy Adames then sent a low-and-away pitch the opposite way and just over the right-field fence to tie the game.
However, with runners on first and third and one out against Caleb Kilian (2-6) in the bottom of the inning, Loftin, who replaced All-Star Bobby Witt Jr. after he exited with lingering low back tightness earlier in the contest, bounced a bunt toward charging first baseman Bryce Eldridge, who could not make a clean play to get Josh Rojas at the plate.
With the Royals down 1-0 in the fourth inning and a man on, Perez cleared the center-field wall for career homer No. 316, leaving him one back of George Brett’s franchise record.
Meanwhile, All-Star Michael Wacha yielded only Heliot Ramos’ homer in the fourth, two other hits, two walks and struck out five in six innings to record his 13th quality start of the season as Kansas City improved to 3-1 on a six-game homestand.
Wacha didn’t yield a hit until Ramos found the fountain deck over the right-field wall.
However, the Royals scored three times in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Giants starter Trevor McDonald hit Vinnie Pasquantino, Perez moved closer to team history. Michael Massey then doubled to right and eventually scored on Isaac Collins’ two-out single that made it 3-1.
McDonald came out for the bottom of the fifth, but exited before throwing a pitch in the inning due to right elbow discomfort. In addition to the three runs, McDonald allowed four hits and walked two with three strikeouts on 67 pitches.
Daniel Susac had two hits for the Giants, who have lost three straight games.
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