Sports
Avila and Loftin power the Royals to a 3-2 win over the Giants
July 22, 2026
Source: Yahoo Sports · Read on source site
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Luinder Avila struck out a career-high seven and Nick Loftin hit a tiebreaking RBI single as the Kansas City Royals beat the San Francisco Giants 3-2 on Tuesday night.
>Avila (5-3) allowed five hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings. It was the longest outing in 10 career starts for the 24-year-old right-hander. Matt Strahm, John Schreiber and Alex Lange worked hitless innings of relief. Lange struck out two in the ninth inning and earned his ninth save.
>Giants starter Tyler Mahle (2-9) struck out four and allowed five hits and three earned runs in five innings.
>Carter Jensen opened the scoring with a solo homer in the bottom of the third. It was Jensen's 14th homer of the season and the fifth straight game that the Royals have homered.
>San Francisco's Jesus Rodriguez doubled with two out in the fifth and scored on a single by Drew Gilbert. Gilbert advanced on a single by Christian Koss and scored when Royals shortstop Tyler Tolbert bobbled a grounder off the bat of Heliot Ramos.
>Kansas City's Isaac Collins walked leading off the sixth and advanced when Sam Hentges hit Salvador Perez with a pitch. Vinnie Pasquantino extended his hitting streak to 16 games with an RBI single to center that tied the game. Loftin then put the Royals ahead to stay with a bases-loaded single.
>Pasquantino and Loftin each went 2 for 3.
>Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone left after the fifth inning with right shoulder soreness. He was 0 for 2 with a groundout and a strikeout before being replaced by Isaac Collins.
Up nextGiants RHP Landen Roupp (7-8, 3.98 ERA) starts Wednesday against Royals RHP Seth Lugo (3-6, 4.39).
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