Royals Hold Off Cardinals’ Late Rally in I-70 Series Opener
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals built a four-run lead early and then had to survive a furious ninth-inning comeback attempt from the St. Louis Cardinals, holding on for a 6–5 victory Friday night at Kauffman Stadium.
The win gave Kansas City the upper hand in the latest chapter of the I-70 Series, while St. Louis was left to wonder what might have been after nearly erasing a deficit that once appeared insurmountable.
The Cardinals struck first in the opening inning when Jordan Walker lifted a sacrifice fly to score JJ Wetherholt, giving St. Louis an early 1–0 advantage.
St. Louis added to its lead in the third. Iván Herrera delivered an RBI single, putting the Cardinals ahead 2–0 and giving Michael McGreevy some early breathing room on the mound.
But Kansas City answered in a major way.
The Royals erupted for four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, turning a two-run deficit into a 4–2 advantage. Jac Caglianone and Michael Massey delivered RBI singles before Isaac Collins came through with a two-run double.
The offensive burst completely changed the momentum of the game.
Caglianone continued his strong night in the fifth inning, launching his 10th home run of the season and giving Kansas City a 5–2 lead. The home run also marked Caglianone's second consecutive game with a homer and the first time in his young career that he had reached double digits in home runs.
Kansas City added another run in the sixth when Tyler Tolbert brought home a runner with a sacrifice fly, extending the Royals' advantage to 6–2.
For much of the night, that appeared to be more than enough.
But the Cardinals refused to go quietly.
St. Louis began its comeback in the ninth inning. Masyn Winn ripped an RBI double to cut the deficit to three before Blaze Jordan followed with a two-run single.
Suddenly, what had been a comfortable Kansas City lead was down to one run.
The Royals turned to Alex Lange with the game hanging in the balance. Lange eventually recorded the final out, securing the 6–5 victory and preventing the Cardinals from completing the comeback.
Royals Capitalize Early
The biggest difference in the game came in the middle innings.
Kansas City took advantage of its opportunities against McGreevy, who had been solid early before the Royals' offense broke through. The Royals collected five doubles during their offensive surge, putting consistent pressure on the Cardinals' pitching staff.
Meanwhile, Caglianone provided one of the game's biggest individual moments with his 10th homer of the season.
The rookie's continued power has become an important part of Kansas City's lineup, and his performance Friday night helped the Royals turn an early deficit into a lead they ultimately never surrendered.
Cardinals Show Fight Late
Despite falling behind 6–2, St. Louis continued to battle.
The ninth-inning rally demonstrated the Cardinals' ability to create pressure late, but Kansas City managed to make enough plays to escape with the victory.
For St. Louis, the late comeback attempt offered a glimpse of what the offense could accomplish when it found its rhythm. For Kansas City, the lesson was equally clear: a lead is never completely safe when the Cardinals are still within striking distance.
The Royals ultimately did just enough.
And in an I-70 Series matchup where momentum can change quickly, Kansas City walked away with a hard-earned 6–5 victory.
Final: Kansas City Royals 6, St. Louis Cardinals 5