Royals finish road trip on high note with victory at Phillies. Big homestand next
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- Royals beat Phillies 10-3 with standout efforts from Caglianone and Perez
- Noah Cameron recovered from early deficit to log seven strikeouts over seven
- Victory snapped Royals' losing streak and lifted record back to .500 at 75-75
The Kansas City Royals needed a spark Sunday.
Philadelphia Phillies starter Aaron Nola was dealing through four innings. He marched through the Royals’ lineup with relative ease. The first nine KC hitters to face him took a U-turn back to the visitors’ dugout.
Nola was also racking up the strikeouts. He tallied five while allowing one hit — a Mike Yastrzemski double — up to that point in the game.
It seemed as if the Royals were ticketed for another loss. Then, KC rookie Jac Caglianone jolted the offense with one swing.
Caglianone hit a two-run blast off Nola in the fifth inning. It was his first home run since July 21 against the Chicago Cubs.
“Nola was throwing the ball well,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “He was really locating. So to tie the game up there, it’s a whole new ballgame.”
Suddenly, the Royals had life. An inning later, KC scored four runs and ended up with a 10-3 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
This time, the Royals trio of Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez knocked around Nola in the sixth inning. Witt led off the sixth with a triple off the right-field wall. He later scored on Pasquantino’s RBI double.
The Royals grabbed their first lead of the game. And Perez ensured they would never relinquish it with his 301st career home run.
“Every time we win, it’s pretty cool,” Perez said. “We get this one, and we are off tomorrow. A long road trip for us. (Time to) rest and reset come back and play the last 12 games we’ve got and play hard.”
Perez grooved an 83.2 mph changeup at the bottom of the strike zone. The baseball traveled 371 feet over the short porch in left field.
It was his third home run over the last two games. Perez is now just two shy of posting a second season in his career with 30 or more homers.
Perez finished 2 for 4 with five RBIs. Meanwhile, Witt hit his 22nd home run as the Royals collected 12 hits to salvage a win in the three-game series.
“This road trip definitely hasn’t gone the way we wanted,” Caglianone said. “So to kind of go out on a high note and have a happy flight home, (we’ll) go into the off-day to reset and get ready to roll. I think it’s good.”
Nola was charged with six earned runs in six innings. He suffered his ninth loss, and his season ERA ballooned to 6.44.
The Royals (75-75) returned to .500 with the victory. It also snapped a three-game losing streak on a frustrating road trip that ended 2-5.
“This group still has the fight in it,” Royals reliever Carlos Estévez said. “Let’s go. Like, we got this, we’re fine. And even when things don’t go our way, we are still going at it. We have the same chemistry, and the group feels good about everything. When we go out there, it’s just compete.”
Estévez left Sunday’s game with mild back tightness. The Royals said it was precautionary and he still is expected to be available for Tuesday’s series opener against the Seattle Mariners.
While their playoff odds remain slim, the Royals could gain ground on the Mariners (81-68) and the other teams in front of them in the American League Wild Card race.
The Mariners finish a weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels before beginning an important three-game series against the Royals on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium.
Noah Cameron shakes off rocky 1st inning
Sunday didn’t start well for Royals rookie starter Noah Cameron. In the first inning, Cameron found himself in a 2-0 hole after surrendering a pair of home runs, to Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto.
The solo homers left Citizens Bank Park in a hurry. And it forced the Royals to have to play from behind. However, Cameron showed resolve as he turned things around.
“That’s always been my worst inning in my entire life,” Cameron said. “Like the first inning, if I can get through the first, I’ll be all right.”
Cameron limited the Phillies to just two hits after the first inning. While working in tandem with fellow rookie Carter Jensen — who made his first start behind the plate — the KC natives stymied the Phillies the rest of the way.
“You know, we’ve got to win,” Cameron said. “Win games. There is no more losing for us. I think it’s the extra motivation to continue competing and try to win games.”
Cameron allowed the two earned runs and recorded seven strikeouts. He tossed seven innings and produced another quality start.
After Realmuto’s home run, Cameron retired 17 of his last 20 batters. He earned his eighth victory as the Royals improved to 31-17 in series finales.
“Noah did a great job,” Quatraro said. “You know, we had quite a few games like that where we’ve given up something early and the guys really battled and settled in. Noah going seven strong against that lineup is extremely impressive.”
What’s next: The Royals are off Monday before returning to Kauffman Stadium to host the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
This story was originally published September 14, 2025 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Royals finish road trip on high note with victory at Phillies. Big homestand next."
