Jordan Westburg hit a two-run, walk-off homer in the ninth inning to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 6-4 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Monday night.
Cedric Mullins singled with one out against Nick Anderson (0-1). Westburg followed with an opposite-field shot, sending an 0-2 fastball just beyond the scoreboard in right for his first career walk-off homer.
Ryan Mountcastle homered, singled and drove in three runs for the Orioles. Craig Kimbrel (1-0) gave up a run to blow a save chance in the top of the ninth, but he emerged with the win.
Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits including a homer while Salvatore Perez also went deep for the Royals. Kansas City finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Neither starter was around for the decision. Michael Wacha allowed three runs on three hits while striking out five and walking one in his Royals debut.
Baltimore’s Dean Kremer’s gave up three runs on three hits and struck five with a walk over 5 1/3 innings.
Witt broke a scoreless tie with solo homer to center field off a 2-1 fastball with two outs in the third. Vinnie Pasquantino then walked, and Perez followed with a two-run homer to center.
Witt has registered an extra base hit in four consecutive games, tied for the longest streak to start a season in Royals history.
The Orioles tied it in the fourth. Adley Rutschman led off with a double and scored on Anthony Santander’s single. Mountcastle fouled off one 2-2 pitch and then homered over the high wall in left-center on the next pitch to make it 3-3.
Baltimore broke the tie in the eighth. Gunnar Henderson reached on a one-out single off James McArthur, and Rutschman followed with an infield single off the glove of first baseman Nick Loftin. Henderson went to third on a flyout and scored when Mountcastle was safe on an infield hit to Witt in the hole between third and short.
Kansas City tied it against Kimbrel in the ninth. Kyle Isbel singled with one out. Pinch runner Dairon Blanco stole second and third, then scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Maikel Garcia.
–Field Level Media