KANSAS CITY — Salvador Perez’s two-run shot tied the Royals’ all-time franchise home-run record and highlighted a five-run seventh inning Wednesday afternoon as Kansas City rallied to sweep a three-game home series against the San Francisco Giants with a 5-4 win.
Kansas City managed just two hits against San Francisco starter Landen Roupp through six innings, when it trailed 3-0. However, Vinnie Pasquantino opened the bottom of the seventh with a double, where he was deemed to be pushed off second base by San Francisco’s Willy Adames on the tag. Giants manager Tony Vitello was ejected after arguing the call.
Perez then followed by matching George Brett’s club record of 317 home runs, ending Roupp’s day with a 437-foot drive that landed into the fountains over the right-center-field wall. Perez took a curtain call, and the milestone ignited a rally that would help the Royals complete a 5-1 homestand.
Perez, who has played all 15 of his major-league seasons with Kansas City, has hit three of his 14 homers this season in the last five games.
In an on-field postgame interview, Perez said he was honored to be in the same category as Brett, the Hall of Famer who excelled for the Royals from 1973-93.
“Everybody knows what George Brett did here for this city,” Perez said. “To be (tied with) a Hall of Famer, I’m certainly excited, too.”
Perez, 36, is batting just .211 with 43 RBI in 95 games this season. He is a nine-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove catcher.
Kansas City starter Seth Lugo (4-6) allowed three runs, three hits and two walks in seven innings, while Steven Cruz overcame yielding Casey Schmitt’s solo homer in the ninth for his first career save.
Following Perez’s homer, San Francisco’s Sam Hentges (1-3) replaced Roupp. Hentges threw wildly to first on an infield single by Michael Massey, who eventually scored the tying run when pinch hitter Nick Loftin dropped a single into left off Keaton Winn. The Royals loaded the bases with two outs, and Lane Thomas delivered a tiebreaking two-run single to right-center field for a 5-3 lead.
Lugo allowed just a Rafael Devers’ double through the first five innings. Meanwhile, Roupp surrendered only a third-inning bunt single to Andrew Velazquez in the same span.
Lugo walked Adames to open the sixth, then hit Drew Gilbert. Both runners advanced on Drew Cavanaugh’s sacrifice bunt, and Adames scored via Luis Arraez’s flyout to center.
The Giants added on in the seventh. Devers drew a one-out walk, then after Schmitt struck out, he scored from first on Jung Hoo Lee’s double. Adames followed with a run-scoring ground-rule double to make it 3-0.
Roupp was charged with two runs, while striking out seven, in six innings as the Giants lost their fifth straight contest.
The Royals placed All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (lower back tightness) on the 10-day injured list for the first time in his five-year career.
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