Westburg delivers tiebreaking homer in 9th to lift Orioles past Royals 6-4
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) throws to first to put out Baltimore Orioles' Austin Hays during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
BALTIMORE (AP) — Jordan Westburg hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to carry the Baltimore Orioles past the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Monday night.
Westburg’s opposite-field drive to right came on an 0-2 pitch from Nick Anderson (0-1) after the Royals rallied to tie the game in the top of the inning. “I really wasn’t trying to do too much, just trying to move the ball and get to the next man (in the lineup),” Westburg said.
Instead, the second-year infielder put an end to a tight contest.
“That was the coolest moment of my career so far,” Westburg said. “I’ve never had a walk-off in all my years I’ve played baseball. To have my first one here in Baltimore is pretty special.”
Ryan Mountcastle homered and drove in three runs for the Orioles.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, the second straight game in which each went deep.
With the score tied at 3 in the eighth, singles by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman put runners at the corners with two outs for Mountcastle, who reached on an RBI infield single when first baseman Nick Loftin couldn’t handle the throw from the shortstop Witt.
That gave closer Craig Kimbrel (1-0) a chance to seal the victory in his Baltimore debut. But Kyle Isbel singled, and pinch-runner Dairon Blanco stole second and third before scoring on a fly ball by Maikel Garcia.
