Pasquantino, Melendez homer as Royals win 9
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Vinnie Pasquantino and MJ Melendez homered to help the Kansas City Royals beat Baltimore 9-4 on Friday night and stop the Orioles’ four-game winning streak.
Adley Rutschman hit his first career grand slam for the Orioles, a seventh-inning homer off Will Smith.
Dean Kremer (0-2) retired his first 11 batters before Pasquantino drove a 1-1 splitter into the right-field bullpen for his fourth homer.
Pasquantino has four homers and 11 RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak.
“Vinnie did a great job getting us going with that homer,” Michael Massey said. “It felt like one of those nights where we had to scratch and claw, and it broke open late for us.”
Returning from the injured list in his season debut, Massey had two hits and two RBIs.
MJ Melendez sparked a five-run sixth with an RBI single that ended an 0-for-23 slide. Massey and Hunter Renfroe each had two-run hits for a 6-0 lead.