Royals score 3 in ninth to shock Padres, avoid sweep

Nelson Velazquez's two-run triple and Nick Loftin's sacrifice fly rallied the Kansas City Royals past the visiting San Diego Padres 4-3 on Sunday to salvage the final game of the weekend series.

With the Royals trailing by two, Vinnie Pasquantino singled and Salvador Perez walked to lead off the ninth. Velazquez blasted a 1-1 slider from Yuki Matsui (3-1) deep to center field, tying the game.

Loftin delivered a game-winning sacrifice fly to right as Kansas City snapped a three-game losing streak.

Velazquez's first triple since 2022 was the only extra-base hit for the Royals, who extended their streak of at least one such hit to a club-record 61 games, the third-longest streak to begin a season in the last 10 years.

The Padres gained a 3-1 lead with four straight hits to open the eighth.

Tyler Wade reached on an infield hit and went to third on an errant pickoff attempt before Fernando Tatis Jr. delivered an RBI hit through the drawn-in infield.

Jurickson Profar followed with another infield hit and Manny Machado drove an RBI hit to right against Angel Zerpa, who faced four hitters, allowing singles to each while surrendering two runs.

Kansas City's Will Klein (1-0) earned his first career win with a hitless ninth.

Starting pitchers Michael King of San Diego and Cole Ragans of Kansas City battled to a 1-all draw through six innings.

King completed seven innings, allowing a run on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Ragans finished six innings, allowing a run on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts.

Pasquantino's fourth-inning sacrifice fly opened the scoring. Luis Arraez's two-out RBI hit tied the game in the next frame.

Kansas City centerfielder Kyle Isbel left the game in the sixth inning with a non-concussive head and neck injury following a collision with Bobby Witt Jr. while chasing a fly ball.

The Royals avoided their first series sweep of the year while the Padres failed to complete their first series sweep.

--Field Level Media