Royals extend win streak to 4 games behind Bobby Witt Jr.’s late-inning heroics
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- Bobby Witt Jr. hit a three-run, 10th-inning homer that gave KC a 4-1 lead.
- Salvador Perez hit a sixth-inning solo homer, his fifth of the season.
- Royals bullpen delivered scoreless frames, with Lucas Erceg earning his seventh save.
The Kansas City Royals began their six-game road swing with a little momentum.
After securing a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals pressed their luck against another American League West opponent on Tuesday night. The first stop was Sutter Health Park, home of the Athletics.
The Royals tangled with the Athletics all evening, trailing early but rallying for a 4-1 victory in the series opener.
They did so behind their superstars.
Bobby Witt Jr. hit a clutch three-run homer in the 10th inning with the score tied 1-1. He crushed an 87.9 mph cutter that A’s right-handed reliever Justin Sterner left over the plate. The baseball traveled into the Royals’ bullpen in right and gave KC the lead for the first time.
Witt has now homered in two consecutive games. He finished 1-for-5 Tuesday.
“I think it’s just we’re going out there knowing what our goal is each and every day,” Witt said. “We’re gonna show up to the field expecting to win. ... That’s our mindset and that’s the way we are going to prepare every day.”
Prior to Witt’s heroics, Royals team captain Salvador Perez led the charge. He belted his fifth home run of the year, a blast to center field off A’s reliever Hogan Harris. The solo shot traveled 425 feet and registered a 107.3 mph exit velocity.
Perez now sits 10 homers shy of surpassing Hall of Famer George Brett for the franchise record.
“It’s pretty good, you know, especially with the situation in the game,” Perez said of Witt’s homer. It’s good. “You know, we can start something good. Hopefully we can continue to do things like that.”
The Royals needed the offensive production from Perez and Witt. A’s starter Aaron Civale limited KC’s opportunities across five scoreless innings. The Royals had a few scoring chances but were hurt by a couple of base-running mistakes.
In the third, Witt was thrown out at third while trying to advance on a ball in the dirt. Another threat was extinguished when Lane Thomas was caught between bases.
“I mean, the one when Bobby got thrown out, that ball bounces right back up into his bare hand,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s a really tough read and Bobby is trying to be aggressive there. And Lane, we got beat by the inside move. We’ve got to be a little bit more alert to that there.”
The Athletics had their chances, too. But Royals left-handed reliever Matt Strahm tight-roped out of trouble in the eighth. He surrendered two hits and a walk — that loaded the bases — before retiring Jeff McNeil to end the inning.
The game came down to the final innings. The Royals’ bullpen was steady as Nick Mears and Lucas Erceg followed Strahm’s effort with scoreless frames.
“Just as they say hitting is contagious, I think zeroes are contagious as well for the bullpen,” Strahm said. “Any time you are able to keep passing the ball like that, it carries over. And hopefully we can all get on a good stretch here and keep doing what we are doing.”
Erceg earned his seventh save. The Royals improved to 12-17 while The Athletics dropped to 15-14.
Kris Bubic solid in start
Bubic returned to the West Coast and looked right at home. The native of Cupertino — located roughly two hours south of Sacramento — held the Athletics to one run Tuesday night.
In the first inning, Bubic, who starred at Stanford, escaped a bases-loaded jam. He got A’s outfielder Tyler Soderstrom swinging to end the inning.
The Athletics got on the board in the second after All-Star Jacob Wilson hit an RBI single. Bubic threw a sweeper that stayed elevated on the outside corner. Wilson belted the baseball to center field to give the A’s an early lead.
Bubic stayed on the attack. He shook off the run and settled into a rhythm. He issued three walks but pitched into the sixth inning.
“Obviously, I’m as mad about the free passes as anybody,” Bubic said. “But if you’re going to be somewhat effectively wild like that, you manage contact well and don’t give up a ton of hard hit balls.”
The fastball was Bubic’s go-to pitch, registering 18 swings and seven whiffs, per Statcast. He balanced the heater with his changeup, sweeper, slider and sinker.
“I think the last couple of starts, I haven’t landed my spin as successfully to right-handed hitters especially,” Bubic said. “But the fastball and changeup kind of did the work to the righties tonight.
“If I can sprinkle in a little more spin to the right-handed hitters, it will give me a little more room for error with those two pitches.”
Bubic finished with a no decision. The Royals tied the game in the sixth — behind Perez’s homer — and relied on their bullpen late. Bubic now has a 3.74 ERA in six starts.
What’s next: Royals right-hander Michael Wacha (2-1, 2.51 ERA) will start Wednesday night opposite A’s righty Luis Severino (1-2, 5.17 ERA). First pitch is set for 8:40 p.m. Central Time at Sutter Health Park.
This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 12:09 AM with the headline "Royals extend win streak to 4 games behind Bobby Witt Jr.’s late-inning heroics."
