Orioles Finally Win, and the Royals Are About to Lose Their Ninth Straight

Baltimore stopped the bleeding Monday night with a 7-5 victory over Kansas City in 12 innings, and now the Orioles are coming back Tuesday to finish off a Royals team that's spiraling harder than anyone in the league. The Royals are chasing their ninth consecutive loss, and honestly, the way they're playing right now, there's no reason to think they'll stop the bleeding anytime soon.

Samuel Basallo and Leody Taveras Pulled Baltimore Out of the Fire

Here's the thing: the Orioles were barely getting anything done offensively. Just six hits across 12 innings. But Basallo changed the entire game with two clutch RBI singles, one in the ninth to tie it at 1-1 and another in the 12th. Then Taveras absolutely crushed a grand slam to put this thing away. For Baltimore, winning was huge because they've only managed two victories in their last seven games. "That's what we are able to do, and we are so happy," Taveras said afterward. Manager Craig Albernaz kept it simple: "It's just sticking with their approach and our plan." The Orioles' last back-to-back wins came all the way back on April 11-13, so this feels like the real turning point the team needed.

Kansas City Can't Hit When It Matters

The Royals are in complete freefall, and the numbers are brutal. Over the last eight games, they've scored just 27 runs while striking out 73 times. Monday night was the perfect example of their nightmare: they rapped out 14 hits but left 16 runners stranded, including loading the bases three times in three different innings without scoring a single run. That's the kind of thing that breaks a team mentally. Vinnie Pasquantino is batting just .149 with 22 strikeouts this season. "The only way we can start to win games is with each other," Pasquantino told the Royals' official website. "When you're going through it, you can question everything. But you got to find a way through it." All-Star Maikel Garcia has been the bright spot at .272, but one good bat can't carry a team drowning like this. Jonathan India was placed on the injured list with a shoulder issue, making things even worse.

Bubic Gets a Chance to Right the Ship

Kris Bubic takes the mound for Kansas City Tuesday with a 2-1 record and a 3.97 ERA. He's been streaky through four starts and just got torched at Detroit, giving up five runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. "Just trying to do too much," Bubic said. "So now, it's about putting the pieces together." The good news for him: he's absolutely dominated Baltimore in the past, going 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in five appearances against the Orioles. The bad news: Taveras is 2-for-2 against him, and the Orioles smell weakness right now.

First pitch is Tuesday night at Kauffman. The Royals' losing streak ends here or it gets to 10. Simple as that.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.