BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Veteran catcher Salvador Perez came through in a decisive moment Sunday afternoon, punishing a controversial intentional walk decision by Seattle with a go-ahead two-run single that sparked a late offensive surge and lifted the Kansas City Royals to an 8-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Kansas City entered the fifth inning trailing by a run before completely shifting the momentum with a two-out rally against Seattle starter Bryan Woo. After loading the bases by intentionally walking Vinnie Pasquantino, the Mariners elected to challenge Perez despite the veteran’s long history of delivering in pressure situations.
Perez lined a sharp single through the left side of the infield, bringing home two runs and giving Kansas City its first lead of the afternoon. The hit ignited the Royals dugout and opened the door for a much larger inning. Moments later, rookie Carter Jensen followed with a two-run double that stretched the lead to 4-1 and ended Woo’s outing.
The Royals never surrendered control after that explosive fifth inning.
Kansas City added insurance runs in each of the next three innings, steadily widening the gap while continuing to pressure Seattle’s bullpen. Maikel Garcia also contributed offensively with two RBIs as the Royals secured consecutive victories for the first time since May 9 and 10.
The win also marked an encouraging performance from veteran right-hander Seth Lugo, who earned his first victory since making his season debut on March 29. Lugo, last season’s Cy Young Award runner-up, settled down after an early setback and pitched effectively into the seventh inning.
Seattle struck immediately against Lugo in the opening inning. After retiring leadoff hitter J.P. Crawford, Lugo left an 89-mile-per-hour sinker over the plate to Julio Rodriguez, who launched the pitch into the left-field bullpen for a solo home run and an early 1-0 Mariners lead.
Despite the fast start from Rodriguez, Lugo regained control and kept Seattle’s offense quiet for much of the afternoon. He finished having allowed three runs on six hits while issuing two walks. The veteran right-hander mixed pitches effectively and worked out of several difficult situations to help stabilize Kansas City after the early deficit.
Royals starting pitchers had entered the game riding a 19-inning scoreless streak before Rodriguez snapped it with his first-inning blast. Lugo ensured the damage remained limited and gave Kansas City an opportunity to rally back.
Woo, meanwhile, struggled to maintain the dominant form he had shown in recent outings. The Seattle starter entered Sunday having allowed only two earned runs across his previous 18 innings, but Kansas City’s patient approach eventually wore him down.
The pivotal fifth inning began when Michael Massey drew a walk before Kyle Isbel laid down a perfectly placed two-strike bunt single. Woo recovered briefly by retiring the next two hitters, appearing close to escaping the inning unharmed.
Instead, Seattle elected to intentionally walk Pasquantino and load the bases for Perez, a gamble that immediately unraveled.
Perez, who has endured an inconsistent offensive season by his standards, delivered one of his biggest hits of the year. Jensen then drove a double into the gap to extend the rally and force Seattle to turn to its bullpen earlier than planned.
Kansas City continued adding pressure in the sixth and seventh innings before scoring twice more in the eighth to create breathing room. Although reliever Lucas Erceg allowed three runs in the ninth inning during a non-save appearance, he managed to close out the victory before Seattle could complete a comeback.
The Mariners now head to California for a road series against the Athletics, with right-hander Emerson Hancock scheduled to start Monday night.
Kansas City returns home for a Memorial Day matchup against the New York Yankees, where veteran right-hander Michael Wacha is expected to take the mound for the Royals.
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