Salvador Perez stays hot with homer in Royals win at Marlins

Field Level Media|published: Sun 20th July, 16:47 2025

Jul 20, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Salvador Perez (13) celebrates after scoring against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

All-Star Kris Bubic pitched five scoreless innings, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 7-4 win over the host Miami Marlins.

The Marlins, who had their four-game win streak broken, are 21-11 over their past 32 games.

Salvador Perez led Kansas City's offense with a homer and a double in four at-bats. It was his second straight game with a homer.

In the three-game series at Miami, Perez went 5-for-10 with four runs, two RBIs, two homers and two doubles.

Bubic (8-6) allowed just three hits - all singles - and one walk. Relievers Steven Cruz, Taylor Clarke and Sam Long each pitched one scoreless innings before Miami finally scored in the ninth.

Carlos Estevez got the last out for his 26th save, which leads the American League.

Janson Junk (4-2) took the loss, allowing six hits, one walk and a season-high six runs (five earned).

Kansas City, which hadn't led in regulation in the first two games of this series, jumped on Miami 3-0 in the top of the fourth.

Bobby Witt Jr. started the rally with a one-out double, and Vinnie Pasquantino followed with a single. Maikel Garcia made it 1-0 on a sacrifice fly. After a ground-rule double by Perez, the Royals made it 3-0 on Jac Caglianone's two-run double.

All of that ended Junk's scoreless- streak at 14 1/3 innings.

The Royals doubled their lead in the fifth inning on a rally that began with shortstop Otto Lopez's throwing error on a routine grounder by Freddy Fermin. After a single by Kyle Isbel, Jonathan India slugged a two-run double. Then, after a wild pitch, Pasquantino's sacrifice fly made it 6-0.

Perez jumped on the first pitch of the eighth inning, giving the Royals a 7-0 lead with his 15th homer of the season. Perez's drive was clocked at 109 mph.

With two outs in the ninth, Miami got a two-run bloop single by Xavier Edwards and a two-run double by Agustin Ramirez. All four runs were unearned due to a fielding error on a grounder to second baseman India.

However, Estevez got Liam Hicks on a fly ball for the final out of the game.

--Field Level Media