Seven in a row! Royals top Phillies 7-5

Bobby Witt Jr. and Michael Massey each homered to lead the Royals to their seventh win in a row, a 7-5 victory over the Phillies Friday evening. Bobby’s blast was his 20th of the year, making him the first player in MLB history to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 30 bases in each of his first two seasons.

The Phillies got on the board in the opening frame against Royals starter Jordan Lyles. Alec Bohm singled and Nick Castellanos homered (did any bad news happen tonight?) to make it 2-0 Phillies. The Royals threatened in the second when Salvador Perez singled and Edward Olivares doubled, but Phillies starter Aaron Nola struck out the next three hitters to strand them both.

The Royals were able to tie in the third when Bobby hit a 410-foot home home run to left center with Maikel Garcia on first base to make it 2-2.

Lyles ran into trouble in the fourth when he gave up an inning-opening double to Bryson Stott, then plunked Brandon Marsh. Johan Rojas doubled them both home to make it 4-2.

But the Royals would storm back in the sixth, with Michael Massey’s second-deck 412-foot home run to lead off the inning, his ninth of the year. Freddy Fermin doubled home a run, and Dairon Blanco singled home two more run in a three-run outburst to make it 6-4 Royals.

The Phillies got one back in the sixth on a Trea Turner RBI single, forcing Lyles out of the game. He lasted 5 ²⁄₃ innings with five runs allowed, but didn’t walk a single batter on the night. Dylan Coleman was able to escape out of the inning, and Carlos Hernandez pitched a scoreless seventh. The Royals added another run in the eighth when MJ Melendez and pinch runner Samad Taylor scored on a Dairon Blanco RBI bunt single, his third RBI of the night to go along with three stolen bases. Austin Cox induced Bryce Harper to hit into a game-ending double play to earn his first career MLB save, preserving the 7-5 win.

The Royals improve to 36-75 and will try for the series win tomorrow evening at 5:05 CT with Alec Marsh scheduled to face left-hander Cristopher Sánchez.