By MATT PIKE
It was a great night for Salvador Perez. It was not a good night for the Royals, who scored more than three runs for just the fourth time in the last 15 games but failed to hold the lead against a relentless Phillies lineup, falling 8-6 at Citizens Bank Park.
Perez become the eighth primary catcher in MLB history to reach 300 home runs and the 10th active player to drive in 1,000 runs.
Kansas City took the lead in the first inning, partially behind the first of Perez's two home runs on the night. Maikel Garcia drove in the opening run with an RBI single scoring Vinnie Pasquantino, before coming home in the very next at bat as Perez hit career home run 299 to put the Royals up 3-0.
The Phillies cut the lead to one in the bottom half of the first inning as Brandon Marsh doubled home Kyle Schwarber and Harrison Bader. In the third inning, the Royals pushed the lead back to two runs as Perez hit the milestone home run. Perez’s swing off Phillies starter Taijuan Walker in the third inning put him on a list with seven other catchers to have hit 300 home runs: Hall of Famers Mike Piazza, Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter and Iván Rodríguez, as well as eight-time All-Star Lance Parrish, who is not in the Hall.
J.T Realmuto's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third drove in Bader to cut the Kansas City lead to one again. In the fifth inning, Schwarber tied up the game, hitting his 51st home run of the season, before the Phillies took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Nick Castellanos scoring Bryce Harper and then extended the lead with an Otto Kemp double bringing home Realmuto for a 6-4 Philadelphia lead.
The Phillies added one more run in the sixth inning with an RBI single from Schwarber driving in Donovan Walton, before Kansas City found their way onto the scoreboard again in the seventh inning. Pasquantino's sacrifice fly scored Tyler Tolbert, but in the bottom of the inning Philadelphia struck again, Marsh hitting his 10th home run of the season for the final Phillies run.
In the eighth inning, Carter Jensen drove in the final run for Kansas City with an RBI single, driving in Jonathan India. Jac Caglianone struck out to end the eighth, pinch hitting for Tolbert, and then in the ninth against former Minnesota Twin Jhoan Duran, the Royals were retired 1-2-3 to end the game.
Angel Zerpa, took the loss falling to 5-2, in relief of starter Ryan Bergert, gave up three runs on three hits in the fifth inning when Philadelphia went in front for good, striking out one and walking one. At the plate, Perez was 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs. India was 2-for-4 with two doubles.
Kansas City and Philadelphia wrap up their series on Sunday. Noah Cameron (7-7, 3.00 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals facing Aaron Nola (4-8, 6.24) for the Phillies, as the Phillies try to complete a 7-0 homestand. First pitch is at 12:35pm, pregame coverage begins at noon on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).
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