The game was decided before most fans had settled into their seats. Kansas City scored six times in the first inning on Monday and spent the next eight frames adding to the margin, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 15-1 at Kauffman Stadium before an announced crowd of 13,496.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHI | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| KC | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | X | 15 | 22 | 0 |
Tyler Tolbert was the offensive centerpiece, going 5-for-5 with a home run and 2 RBI. He scored three times and was on base every time he came to the plate. Luke Maile provided the inning's signature blow, a three-run home run to right center that traveled 396 feet and pushed the lead to 6-1. Maile finished 1-for-4 with 3 RBI. Salvador Perez added a solo shot in the second, and Lane Thomas homered in the fourth. Nick Loftin drove in 2 runs and scored twice, while Jac Caglianone went 2-for-6 with 2 RBI.
A First Inning That Ended the Contest
Philadelphia actually struck first. Alec Bohm doubled to center, scoring Trea Turner to put the Phillies ahead 1-0. Kansas City answered immediately. Bobby Witt scored on a throwing error by Turner on a fielder's choice, tying the game at 1-1. Then Nick Loftin singled to right, scoring Caglianone to give Kansas City the lead for good. Starling Marte singled to left to score Loftin, and Maile's three-run homer capped the six-run frame. The Royals added a run in each of the next five innings and two more in both the seventh and eighth, turning the game into a procession.
Cristopher Sanchez absorbed the damage, lasting just 3.1 innings and allowing 9 runs on 12 hits with a walk and a strikeout on 83 pitches. He fell to 10-4 with a 2.62 ERA. Philadelphia's bullpen covered the remaining 4.2 innings but allowed 6 more runs. Noah Cameron picked up the win for Kansas City, going 5.0 innings and allowing 1 run on 6 hits with 7 strikeouts and 5 walks. He improved to 5-6 with a 4.77 ERA. Three Royals relievers finished the game without allowing a run over 4.0 innings.
Kansas City won its second straight game and improved to 37-54. Philadelphia dropped to 50-41, losing for the second consecutive time. Trea Turner, who went 3-for-4 with a run scored, is 2 doubles away from 300 career doubles.