By MATT PIKE
Carter Jensen stayed hot and finished a single shy of hitting for the cycle with a home run, triple and a double while driving in three runs while scoring three times, helping the Kansas City Royals defeat the Miami Marlins 7-3 at Kauffman Stadium to avoid a three-game sweep.
Jensen's bat wasn't the only thing hot during the game. The game was played in front of just 10,803 with a game-time temperature of 97 degrees. After flying out in his first at bat of the game, Jensen cut a 2-0 Marlins lead to one with an RBI triple in the third inning, scoring Kyle Isbel, before coming home on a double by Jac Caglianone to tie the game. Miami took the lead through the first two innings, when Heriberto Hernández led off the game with a solo home run in the first, and an RBI single by Joe Mack, driving in Jakob Marsee in the second inning.
The Marlins broke the tie in the fourth inning on Agustín Ramírez's solo home run, his third of the season, before the Royals took things over in the fifth inning, Jensen giving Kansas City their first lead of the game with a two run home run, again scoring Isbel for a 4-3 lead. Jensen has three home runs in the last two games for the Royals.
Michael Wacha left with the lead after six innings, going on to earn the win improving to 9-8, allowing three runs while walking two and striking out seven. Craig Kimbrel came on in the seventh and retired the first two batters he faced, before experiencing nausea due to the heat, plunking Kyle Stowers with a pitch after a delay, befor being pulled for Nate Pearson who got the final out of the seventh, and pitched a clean eighth inning before handing the ball to Steven Cruz in the ninth inning.
It was not a save situation for Cruz however, as the Royals added their final three runs in the eighth inning. Jensen led offf the inning with a double and later scored on a single by Caglianone. A double from Salvador Perez drove in Caglianone to extend the lead, and after Tyler Tolbert pinch ran for Perez and stole third base, an RBI double from Vinnie Pasquantino brought Tolbert home for the final run. Kansas City threatened to add more, with runners on the corners after Michael Massey singled to move Pasquantino to third, but Isaac Collins struck out to end the eighth.
At the plate, Jensen was 3-for-4 with three RBI's and three runs scored. Caglianone was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Isbel was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Kansas CIty next will host the Toronto Blue Jays. Daniel Lynch (4-4, 3.06 ERA, 46Ks) is set to start for the Royals against Jameson Taillon (2-6, 5.68 ERA, 75Ks) for the Blue Jays. First pitch is at 7:10pm, pregame airs at 6:30pm on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).
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