Perez and Caglianone power Royals to 4-3 win over Pirates for 3-game sweep
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- — Salvador Perez homered twice, Jac Caglianone hit the longest measured homer by a Royals rookie, and Kansas City beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep.
Perez broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning with his longball off Isaac Mattson (2-1). He opened the scoring with a 444-foot shot to center in the second.
But the most impressive homer of the game belonged to Caglianone — a 466-foot, two-run drive to center in the fourth against Bailey Falter. It was the longest homer by a Royals rookie since Statcast started tracking in 2015 and the fourth-longest by any Kansas City player at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals have won six of seven overall. They did not have a multi-homer game this season before doing it Monday night against Pittsburgh, and now they've done it three games in a row. Kansas City hit nine homers in the series.
Pittsburgh fell to 0-6 on its nine-game trip ahead of the All-Star break after getting shut out in three straight games at Seattle.
Perez had his second multi-homer game of the season and 19th of his career, extending his franchise record.
Lucas Erceg (4-2) worked a scoreless eighth and Carlos Estevez pitched the ninth for his 25th save.
Ke'Bryan Hayes had a two-run single in the Pirates' three-run sixth.
Perez sent the first pitch of the eighth to the walkway just short of the fountains in right-center.
Kansas City swept a series at home for the first time since a four-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox in early May.
Pirates: Begin a three-game series at Minnesota on Friday.
Royals: Host the New York Mets for three games starting Friday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
KC wins 3-0
Game Information
- Umpires:
- Home Plate Umpire - Laz Diaz
- First Base Umpire - Erich Bacchus
- Second Base Umpire - Brian O'Nora
- Third Base Umpire - Mike Estabrook
2025 National League Central Standings
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chicago | 54 | 38 | .587 | - | L2 |
Milwaukee | 53 | 40 | .570 | 1.5 | W4 |
St. Louis | 49 | 44 | .527 | 5.5 | L1 |
Cincinnati | 47 | 46 | .505 | 7.5 | W1 |
Pittsburgh | 38 | 56 | .404 | 17 | L6 |
2025 American League Central Standings
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit | 59 | 35 | .628 | - | L1 |
Kansas City | 46 | 48 | .489 | 13 | W4 |
Minnesota | 45 | 47 | .489 | 13 | W2 |
Cleveland | 43 | 48 | .473 | 14.5 | W3 |
Chicago | 31 | 62 | .333 | 27.5 | W1 |