Salvador Perez drives in two as Royals beat Phillies 5-2
Salvador Perez drove in two runs with a two-run double in the eighth inning Sunday, lifting the Kansas City Royals to a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Kauffman Stadium and snapping a four-game skid. Aaron Nola answered with a season-high seven innings and seven strikeouts, but Philadelphia managed just five hits in a series-evening loss.
Key Takeaways
- Salvador Perez doubled to deep left off Kyle Backhus in the eighth, scoring Bobby Witt Jr. and Lane Thomas to break open a 3-2 game.
- Aaron Nola threw seven innings for the first time since Sept. 26, 2025, striking out the side in the seventh on 15 pitches.
- The Phillies finished with five hits—only two after the fifth inning—and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
- Luinder Avila earned the win (5 IP, 1 ER) and Alex Lange notched his eighth save for Kansas City.
- Full recaps and game video are available from ESPN and MLB.com.
Why did Salvador Perez break open a tight game in the eighth?
Kansas City carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth after Isaac Collins' sacrifice fly and a Phillies run on a fielder's choice in the seventh. Seth Johnson relieved Nola and issued a walk to Witt before Nick Loftin struck out. Kyle Backhus entered with runners on first and second but could not escape the jam.
Salvador Perez lined a double to deep left that scored both Witt and Thomas, pushing the Royals' lead to 5-2. It was Perez's 11th double of the season and delivered his two RBIs on the day. ESPN's game recap noted Perez "sealed the game" after the Phillies had crept within one run.
How strong was Aaron Nola's season-longest outing?
Nola fell to 3-6 after allowing three earned runs on seven hits over seven innings, but the line marked a sharp turnaround from recent struggles. He entered Sunday with a 6.04 ERA and had not completed six innings since May 26, including eight runs in just 4⅓ innings against Pittsburgh in his previous start.
After surrendering two first-inning runs on consecutive hits by Lane Thomas and Michael Massey, Nola settled in. He did not walk a batter, recorded 19 swings and misses—11 on his curveball—and retired the side in both the sixth and seventh. Per MLB.com, it was the first time he opened a seventh inning since April 3 and the first time he finished seven frames since late last September.
Interim manager Don Mattingly kept Nola in for the seventh while the game remained within reach, and Nola rewarded the decision by striking out the side. "Nola was good," Mattingly said afterward. "It was good to see that. After the first obviously, he kind of had them guessing all day long."
Why did Philadelphia's offense fall short again?
Despite Nola's bounce-back, the Phillies bats went quiet. The Inquirer reported Philadelphia generated only five hits against five Royals pitchers, with just two coming after the fifth inning. Bryson Stott extended his on-base streak to 12 games with a triple and later a single, and Gabriel Rincones Jr. drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
The Phillies pulled within 3-2 in the seventh when Stott scored on a Garrett Stubbs fielder's choice aided by a Kansas City throwing error. But they went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and could not deliver a tying blow before Perez's eighth-inning double. The loss was Philadelphia's fourth in eight games.
Where can fans watch recap and highlights from this game?
Sunday's matinee at Kauffman Stadium closed out the middle game of a three-game interleague set. For viewers catching up after the final out, the full game recap and box score remain on ESPN, while MLB.com hosts news coverage and video highlights including Nola's seven-strikeout performance.
For more streaming and TV alerts around Phillies baseball and similar live sports, check our Streaming & TV Alerts hub. The Phillies continue the series in Kansas City before returning east for a stretch that includes next week's All-Star Game in Philadelphia.