History didn’t repeat itself for the Royals on this night, and that mattered just fine. Kansas City rode five scoreless innings from Noah Cameron and three home runs to a 5-2 win over Detroit, stretching its winning streak to six for the first time this year.
The game did brush up against some familiar trouble. A month ago on July 23rd, the Royals were in Detroit against Troy Melton and the Tigers, and that one slipped away after the bullpen got involved.
This time, with a three-run lead, Kansas City watched the relievers allow two runs in the seventh. The difference was the finish.
The Royals held on.
It wasn’t clean. It rarely was.
Without Matt Strahm in the mix this time, Cuas worked a scoreless inning before John Schreiber allowed the two runs. Steven Cruz kept his own runners from scoring, and Nate Pearson handled the ninth for his second Royals save.
No one made it easy, but the job got done.
Cameron’s outing came with some real questions attached after he threw 115 pitches against the Angels in his previous start. He didn’t have his sharpest stuff, either.
He gave up his first hit in the opening inning, walked three, and struck out only two. Still, he battled through five innings on 84 pitches without allowing a run.
Kansas City’s first run arrived in a messy, almost accidental way. Vinnie Pasquantino, who has been red hot since coming off the IL, doubled down the first-base line with one out in the fourth. He scored when Michael Massey drove a groundball up the middle that got past Melton and Kevin McGonigle, then ricocheted off McGonigle and into left field.
After that, the long ball took over. Kyle Isbel went deep in the fifth.
Pasquantino added another homer in the sixth. Then Carter Jensen delivered in the seventh, after the Royals’ lead had been cut to one.
Jensen’s blast and Pasquantino’s second shot were no-doubt homers, but all three carried the same weight in the box score. The Royals added one more cushion in the eighth when Michael Massey doubled to right and Kyle Isbel followed with a double into left.
Kansas City finished with 10 hits and five runs, enough to survive a night that still asked a lot of its pitching staff. The Royals did not exactly solve everything, especially with seven walks and five strikeouts from the staff, but they found another way to win.
Earlier this week, I saw a social media post that made me chuckle. It suggested that the Royals would reach .500 if they won 28 of their last 35. Now they only need to win 25 of their last 32.
They’ll try to keep climbing tomorrow night at 6:15 PM Central Time, with Drew Anderson (4.01 ERA, 3.38 SIERA) facing Michael Wacha (3.58 ERA, 4.38 SIERA).
In Other News...
Royals Fans Just Got A Tough Reminder About Scott Barlow
Scott Barlows return to the Royals organization has ended much the way his 2025 season has gone overall: without much momentum. After signing a minor league deal in early July, Barlow was released by Kansas Citys Triple-A affiliate following a stretch in which he continued to battle both command and velocity, the same issues that have followed him through stops with the Athletics and the Royals top farm team.
For Royals fans, it is a tough reminder of how quickly a once-trusted arm can lose his footing. Barlow still has a path back to a contender, though, since a team in the playoff race could still take a chance on him with another minor league deal before the postseason eligibility deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Royals May Regret Letting This Veteran Arm Get Away
Eli Morgans next stop is within the Yankees system, where the veteran right-hander has signed a minor league deal and will report to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. For Kansas City, it is another reminder of how quickly bullpen depth can disappear in late-season roster churn, especially when a pitcher with major league experience gets through the waiver process and reaches the open market.
Morgan elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Royals, and New York is bringing him in as extra pitching insurance with the postseason approaching. He has already been used in the majors several times this season, which is exactly the kind of practical experience contenders tend to value this time of year, and it leaves Kansas City wondering whether it let a useful arm slip away. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Suddenly Have A New Infield Problem To Solve
Maikel Garcias latest setback gives the Royals another infield wrinkle to manage, and it comes at a time when they were already trying to keep the lineup and roster moving with as little disruption as possible. Garcia landed back on the Injured List after suffering a hamstring strain while rounding third base, a frustrating turn for a player the club had been counting on to provide stability around the infield.
Matthew Lugo was brought up from Omaha to fill Garcias roster spot, while the Royals also made a pitching shuffle by optioning Carlos Durn and recalling Jose Cuas. For a club trying to stay flexible, the moves make sense on paper, but Garcias absence leaves another question hanging over how Kansas City will piece together the infield in the near term. [Read more 🡒]