Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz celebrates with third base coach Mike Rabelo (58) after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nick Loftin hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning, then won it in the ninth with a one-out RBI single as the Kansas City Royals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Rookie Jac Caglianone homered for the Royals, a 421-foot drive leading off the second inning that was his first extra-base hit in 14 games at Kauffman Stadium. He had been 5 for 46 at home before Tuesday night’s game.
Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz tied it in the fourth with a 458-foot shot over the fountains in right field on the day he was announced as a participant in next-week’s Home Run Derby.
Nick Gonzales put the Pirates ahead with a homer in the top of the seventh before Loftin’s drive made it 3-2.
Bryan Reynolds tied it with an RBI grounder in the eighth.
Maikel Garcia singled leading off the ninth against Dennis Santana (2-2) and Salvador Perez followed with a base hit. With one out, Isaac Mattson came in and gave up Loftin’s game-ending hit on a 1-0 fastball.
The Pirates fell to 0-5 to start their nine-game trip ahead of the All-Star Break. Kansas City has won five of six.
Carlos Estevez (3-2) worked a scoreless ninth for Kansas City.
The Pirates’ Mitch Keller and the Royals’ Seth Lugo, both rumored to be trade candidates before the July 31 deadline, were nearly identical through six innings. Each allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts.
Key moment
The Pirates loaded the bases with one out in the eighth against Lucas Erceg, who gave up Reynolds’ tying fielder’s-choice grounder and then retired Gonzales on another groundball.
Key stat
The Royals had their second straight multi-homer game after not having done that all season.
Roster moves
The Pirates placed right-handed pitcher Chase Shugart on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation. Outfielder Jack Suwinski has been recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Suwinski, who is in his third stint with Pittsburgh this season, has hit .280 (51-for-182) with 10 doubles, a triple, 12 home runs, 48 RBI, 28 walks and 41 runs scored over 53 games with Indianapolis this season. His 48 RBI since April 25 (his Triple-A season debut) were tied for the second-most in the International League at the time of his promotion.
Additionally, left-handed pitcher Ryan Borucki will begin a rehab assignment with Low-A Bradenton tonight.
Up next
The teams complete their three-game series Wednesday night with Pittsburgh’s Bailey Falter (6-4, 3.69 ERA) facing Kris Bubic (7-6, 2.36).