Salvador Perez homered and drove in five runs as the Kansas City Royals topped the host Philadelphia Phillies 10-3 on Sunday to salvage the finale of their weekend series.
After homering twice in Saturday’s defeat, Perez lifted his team to victory in this one with plenty of help from Noah Cameron (8-7). The rookie left-hander allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out seven.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone also homered for Kansas City (75-75), which had lost six of its last seven games. Vinnie Pasquantino doubled twice and singled and scored three times for the Royals.
Kyle Schwarber hit his 52nd home run for Philadelphia (89-61), which squandered a chance to clinch the National League East. The Phillies can still secure the division title if the New York Mets lose to the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
J.T. Realmuto and Bryson Stott also homered for the hosts. Aaron Nola (4-9) surrendered six runs and six hits in six innings as the Phillies’ six-game winning streak came to an end.
After falling behind in the first inning in each of the first two games of the series, Philadelphia took an early lead in this one. Schwarber and Realmuto each homered off Cameron as the hosts jumped out 2-0 in the opening frame.
Nola retired the first nine batters he faced and then escaped a threat in the fourth. However, he gave up Caglianone’s sixth homer of the season – a two-run shot in the fifth – before surrendering four more runs in the sixth.
In the decisive sixth inning, Kansas City’s first four batters hit for the cycle. Witt started the rally with a triple to right and then came in to score on Pasquantino’s double. Maikel Garcia followed with a single to put runners on the corners, and everyone came around on Perez’s 28th home run.
Perez added a two-run single in the seventh inning and Witt homered in the ninth as the Royals pulled away.
