Samad Taylor’s first major league hit lifted the Kansas City Royals to a 10-9 walk-off, come-from-behind win over the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Saturday afternoon.
Making his major league debut, Taylor delivered a one-out single to deep center field as the Royals scored twice in the ninth, overcoming a six-run deficit.
Brandon Drury homered twice and Shohei Ohtani clubbed his major league-leading 23rd homer as the Angels built an 8-2 lead in the seventh.
Bobby Witt Jr. led Kansas City’s comeback with two-run hits in each of the seventh and eighth innings as the Royals plated three in each frame to tie the game.
Los Angeles re-took the lead on Mike Trout’s RBI single in the ninth before Kansas City answered with three ninth-inning singles and a pair of runs against Chris Devenski (3-1).
With one out, a runner at third, and the outfield playing shallow, Taylor lifted a fly deep to center for the winning hit.
Aroldis Chapman (2-2) earned the win, striking out three in the ninth as the Royals snapped a 10-game losing streak.
Drury opened the scoring in the second, lining the inning’s first pitch into the left-field bullpen. One out later, Taylor Ward lifted a fly ball over the left-field wall for his ninth home run and a 2-0 Angels’ lead.
MJ Melendez tied the game with a two-run shot to right-center in the fourth, his sixth of the season for KC.
The Angels responded in the fifth with three consecutive singles, loading the bases before Mickey Moniak and Ohtani followed with RBI grounders for a 4-2 advantage.
Drury collected his fourth career multi-homer game with a two-run shot to left in the sixth, and Ohtani’s 437-foot solo blast to left-center in the seventh gave the Angels an 8-2 lead.
Ohtani has a season-best 14-game hitting streak, including eight home runs and 18 RBIs.
Angels starter Griffin Canning threw six innings, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks, striking out five.
Royals starter Mike Mayers allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk over five-plus innings.
–Field Level Media
