ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Adam Frazier hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning and the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 2-1 victory over the hapless Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
MJ Melendez delivered a one-out single off Angels closer Carlos Estévez (0-2) before Frazier put his first homer in 31 games this season into the short porch in right field. Frazier, who got two hits to boost his average to .188, hadn't homered in 74 games since last July 30 with Baltimore.
“I've been working on a lot of different things,” Frazier said. “I probably changed ideas 10 times today, to be honest. ... The last couple of at-bats, just kind of relaxed and let the hands take over. Just tried to get the body out of the way and swing easy.”
Melendez had three hits for Kansas City, which has won three straight and seven of 10. Tyler Duffey (1-0) pitched the eighth to earn his first victory since 2022.
Jo Adell homered and Griffin Canning pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings for the Angels, who have lost 16 of 21 after Estévez's third blown save in his last six opportunities.
Matt Thaiss got a one-out double off John Schreiber in the bottom of the ninth, but Schreiber got two grounders to wrap up his first save of the season with his new team.
Alec Marsh struck out seven while pitching one-run ball into the sixth inning in his return from injury, but the Royals were two outs away from their second shutout loss of the season before they came back. Marsh hadn’t pitched since getting hit in the elbow by a comebacker on April 25.
“We were in it the whole time,” Marsh said. “No one thought we were losing that game. ... That's what you live for right there — coming back in those games and sneaking those wins out. The bats didn't show up for the first couple of innings, but this team has got so much fight. Doesn't matter if it's the beginning of the game or the ending of the game. If we score, we're going to win.”
The Angels got a big game from Adell, who made a diving catch on Michael Massey's line drive in the top of the fifth. He hit his sixth homer of the season several minutes later, driving a 436-foot shot off the artificial rock formation beyond the center field fence at the Big A.
Canning came through with his best start in a rocky season, holding the Royals to three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
“I don’t think the at-bats were poor,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “You’ve got to tip your cap to Canning. Looked like the changeup was really giving us trouble. He was getting it down below the barrel, and then the balls we did square up, Adell made a great play on Massey. That's a leadoff double, maybe triple. Who knows?"
After reliever Adam Cimber escaped Canning's sixth-inning jam by striking out Massey, Matt Moore and Luis García each threw a scoreless inning before Estévez blew it.
Niko Goodrum drew a walk and stole a base in his debut with the Angels, who claimed him off waivers from Tampa Bay on Thursday.
Luis Guillorme doubled in his second game with the Angels, who have added several stopgap veterans to fill the injury holes left by Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Brandon Drury, Luis Rengifo and Miguel Sano.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals: LHP Daniel Lynch was sent back to Triple-A Omaha to make room for Marsh, who came off the 15-day injured list.
UP NEXT
LHP Tyler Anderson (2-4, 2.74 ERA) takes the mound for Los Angeles in the third game of the series Saturday, facing Kansas City LHP Cole Ragans (2-2, 3.38 ERA).