Carter Jensen rallies Royals to late lead at Texas, but KC loses walk-off stunner
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- Carter Jensen hit a two-run homer in the top of the eighth to put KC ahead 6-3.
- Lucas Erceg blew his fifth save and took the loss as Texas won 7-6.
- Seth Lugo delivered a quality start, scattering six hits with six strikeouts.
The Kansas City Royals came into Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers having been outscored 31-2 in their last three games.
Woes permeated the batting order. The Royals have failed to produce with runners in scoring position, and that has contributed to multiple losses in an increasingly disappointing season.
Riding a four-game losing streak, the Royals needed a spark Saturday afternoon at Globe Life Field in their second game of this series and road trip. And they got it in the form of Park Hill High School product Carter Jensen.
Inserted as KC’s leadoff hitter Saturday as manager Matt Quatraro continued to tweak his batting order, Jensen belted a two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to put the Royals ahead 6-3.
An all-too-rare Kansas City victory seemed possible in the bottom of the frame, when Jensen — who started at catcher — made an athletic diving catch on a popup bunt to end the inning after one Rangers run had scored.
But then came closer Lucas Erceg. The KC reliever blew his fifth save of the season and took the loss, allowing Texas a 7-6 walk-off win that the Rangers achieved without the Royals (22-36) recording an out in the ninth.
“The moment was there,” Jensen said. “Everybody was fired up. But you know, at the same time, it’s just a sucky game sometimes. Just kind of think everybody is at a loss for words. Kind of what we’ve been going through and still going through it now. Tough loss like that, but it’s how we bounce back.”
The Royals were stunned Saturday night, especially after seeming to find their offensive stride in the seventh inning. Isaac Collins led off the inning with a double that ignited KC’s late four-run comeback from a 3-0 deficit.
Two batters later, Kyle Isbel hit a one-out single to flip over the Royals’ lineup. That provided the top of the order a prime scoring opportunity.
The Royals cashed in when Jensen, Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia each recorded RBI singles. Vinnie Pasquantino hit an RBI double to complete the Royals’ short-lived rally.
“I mean, we talk about it all the time, you’ve got to give yourself the opportunities,” Quatraro said.
Earlier in the game, the Rangers jumped out to a 3-0 lead fueled by some critical Royals mistakes. In the fourth inning, Witt and Garcia — KC’s Gold Glove duo — committed costly errors, leading to two unearned runs.
After Rangers first baseman Jake Burger got aboard with a leadoff single, Garcia booted a ground ball off the bat of Ezequiel Duran. It appeared that Garcia took his eye off the baseball as he tried to transfer it to his throwing hand.
The ball rolled away and Duran was safe at first, giving Texas two runners on base against Royals starter Seth Lugo.
Two batters later, the Rangers used a small-ball approach to score their second run. Their first came on Josh Jung’s solo homer in the first inning.
Witt was charged with a throwing error in the fourth. He fielded a grounder in the hole but didn’t make an accurate throw. It was his second error of the season; Garcia recorded his third.
Garcia later exited the game with a right-hamstring strain.
“He’s getting treatment,” Quatraro said of Garcia. “We’re not going to know until we see how he feels in the morning.”
The Royals have gift-wrapped unearned runs to the Rangers in this series. On Friday team captain Salvador Perez and utilityman Nick Loftin were each charged with errors in a 9-1 loss.
Lugo helped overcome KC’s early mistakes. He pitched a quality start after allowing the three runs to score. He scattered six hits, didn’t walk a batter and recorded six strikeouts.
“Just felt good today,” Lugo said. “Felt like my mechanics were in sync and felt like I was really balanced over the rubber landing right and finishing pitches right.”
Lugo’s pitches tallied 45 swings and 10 whiffs, per Baseball Savant. He found success with his curveball, using it primarily against the Rangers’ left-handed batters.
Relievers Alex Lange and Daniel Lynch IV helped maintain the Royals’ lead until Erceg imploded in the ninth.
“I’ve been terrible lately and kind of just trying to search for some answers,” Erceg said. “But going to go home and think about it. I’ll be ready for tomorrow.”
Jensen hit his two-run homer off Rangers right-hander Chris Martin. It was his seventh home run of the season and came as he batted leadoff for the first time this season.
Jensen later made what seemed would be a game-saving play. He secured the final out of the eighth with a diving grab of Michael Helman’s botched bunt attempt.
Yet the Rangers found a way to win. Duran hit the walk-off single as the Royals lost their fifth consecutive game.
“It’s hard when it’s not going your way,” Collins said. “But, that kind of what shows what type of person you are and what type of player you are. Do you continue to show up when it doesn’t go your way or do you kind of succumb to all the negativity?”
What’s next: Royals right-hander Michael Wacha (4-2, 2.69 ERA) will start opposite Rangers righty Jack Leiter (2-4, 4.75 ERA) in Sunday’s series finale. First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m. Central.
This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Carter Jensen rallies Royals to late lead at Texas, but KC loses walk-off stunner."
