Coby Mayo belted a three-run homer to highlight a sixth-run sixth inning, fueling the visiting Baltimore Orioles to an 8-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday afternoon.
Leody Taveras’ RBI single forged a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning before Jeremiah Jackson’s two-run single gave Baltimore a lead it would not relinquish.
Pete Alonso launched a two-run homer in the first inning for the Orioles, who avenged a 6-5 setback on Tuesday to win the rubber match of the three-game series.
Chris Bassitt (1-2) allowed five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. Yennier Cano and Tyler Wells bridged the gap to rookie Anthony Nunez, who struck out two batters in the ninth inning to secure his first career save.
Kansas City’s Kyle Isbel crushed a two-run homer and Vinnie Pasquantino and Carter Jansen also went deep.
Jansen and Lane Thomas each had an RBI single for the reeling Royals, who have lost nine of their last 10 games.
Kansas City was nursing a 3-2 lead before Baltimore ignited an offensive surge to chase starter Michael Wacha (2-1) from the game.
Alonso worked a one-out walk and Samuel Basallo hit the first of three straight singles by the Orioles. Taveras’ single to right field plated Alonso, while Jackson’s single to left scored both Basallo and Taveras to give Baltimore a 5-3 lead.
Eli Morgan relieved Wacha and promptly surrendered a single to Colton Cowser before Mayo sent a 0-1 slider over the wall in left-center field. The homer was Mayo’s second in as many days.
That closed the book on Wacha, who permitted six runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He entered the game having yielded just three runs on 13 hits in his previous four starts.
Bassitt saw a 2-2 sinker sent over the wall in center field by Jansen to trim Baltimore’s lead to 8-4, Cano relieved Bassitt and served up a two-run homer to Isbel just inside the right-field foul pole.
Alonso gave Baltimore a 2-0 lead after depositing a 1-0 sinker from Wacha over the wall in right-center field. Alonso’s homer was his third of the season and first since April 13.
Pasquantino halved the deficit after sending a 2-0 sinker from Bassitt over the wall in right field. The homer was his third of the season, with all three coming in his last seven games.
