Royals rally for 6-5 comeback win over Giants

The Royals overcame a four-run deficit and took the lead in the ninth for their first comeback win of the year in a 6-5 victory over the Giants on Saturday. It was their second win in a row, giving them their first winning streak of the season, improving their record to 3-6.

Brady Singer cruised through the first three innings, but poor location in the fourth led to a four-run inning. LaMonte Wade Jr. turned on an inside slider and put it into McCovey’s Cove to make it 1-0 Giants. After hits to Michael Conforto and J.D. Davis put runners at second and third, Joc Pederson made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly. Singer looked like he might stop the bleeding there by striking out Mike Yastrzemski and getting Thairo Estrada down in the count 0-2. But Singer left a fastball up in the zone that Estrada pounded for a two-out RBI single. A Brandon Crawford RBI single made it 4-0 San Francisco.

Sean Manaea kept the Royals bats in check, but Bobby Witt Jr. finally put the Royals on the board with a solo home run, a 384 foot blast off a hanging slider. But Singer would give that run right back in the bottom of the inning with another RBI single from Brandon Crawford to make it 5-1.

But Franmil Reyes began the comeback with a solo home run off reliever Ross Stripling to begin the seventh, his second home run with the Royals. The Royals were running out of chances to stage a rally with two outs in the eighth, but Edward Olivares and MJ Melendez each singled to set the stage for Salvador Perez. Salvy launched a 375-foot blast for a three-run home run, tying the game at 5-5.

Reliver Taylor Clarke nearly put the rally the naught, by immediately loading the bases with no outs in the eighth. But he showed some intestinal fortitude by striking out the next three hitters with breaking balls and change ups.

That allowed the Royals to take the lead in the ninth off hard-throwing reliever Camilo Doval. Vinnie Pasquantino led off with a double, and pinch-runner Nate Eaton advanced to third on a groundout. Doval would then uncork a fastball to the backstop, and Eaton took off for home. The ball hit the backstop so hard, it came back to catcher Blake Sabol rather quickly, but Eaton was able to evade the tag and plate what would be the game-winning run.

Aroldis Chapman sat down the Giants with a 1-2-3 ninth that included two strikeouts and some 100 mph heat. The Royals have taken the first two games of this roadtrip and can finish the sweep tomorrow afternoon at 3:05 with Kris Bubic scheduled to pitch against Anthony Desclafani.