Perez, Thomas Power Lifts Royals Past Giants 5-4

Perez Ties Record in Key Inning

Salvador Perez reached a significant milestone while helping the Kansas City Royals secure a narrow victory over the San Francisco Giants. Perez tied the franchise home run record with his 317th career shot during the seventh inning. His blast to center field, measuring 437 feet, provided two crucial runs that shifted the momentum of the game.

The Royals (43-60) utilized that power surge to overcome a deficit and hold off the Giants (42-60) by a final score of 5-4 on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. The win improves Kansas City’s record, while San Francisco remains at .500.

Scoring Surge in the Seventh

The game remained tight until the middle innings. San Francisco took an early lead in the sixth inning when Arraez hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Adames to score and leaving Gilbert at third base. This gave the Giants a 1-0 advantage.

The Giants extended their lead in the seventh inning. Lee tripled to right field to bring Devers home, making it 2-0. Shortly after, Adames hit a ground rule double, scoring Lee and pushing the lead to 3-0.

However, the Royals responded immediately. Perez’s home run cut the deficit to 3-2. Loftin then singled to left field, bringing Massey home to tie the game at 3-3.

The inning turned decisively when Thomas singled to right field. The hit allowed Loftin to score and also brought Marte home from second base, giving Kansas City a 5-3 lead. Jensen advanced to third base on the play.

Late Rally Falls Short

San Francisco attempted a comeback in the ninth inning. Schmitt homered to left field, a 376-foot shot, to make the score 5-4. Despite the late run, the Giants could not complete the rally.

Pitching Performances

Seth Lugo earned the win for Kansas City, pitching seven innings. He allowed three runs and three hits while striking out five batters and walking two. Daniel Lynch IV pitched the eighth inning, allowing no hits or runs. Steven Cruz closed the game in the ninth, allowing one run on one hit with one strikeout to record his first save.

For San Francisco, Landen Roupp started and pitched six innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits while striking out seven. Sam Hentges took the loss after pitching 0.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits. Keaton Winn recorded the save opportunity but gave up one earned run in 0.2 innings. Erik Miller pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout.

The game was played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, with an attendance of 14,606.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816226