BALTIMORE (AP) — Jordan Westburg hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to carry the Baltimore Orioles past the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Monday night.
Westburg’s opposite-field drive to right came on an 0-2 pitch from Nick Anderson (0-1) after the Royals rallied to tie the game in the top of the inning.
“I really wasn’t trying to do too much, just trying to move the ball and get to the next man (in the lineup),” Westburg said.
Instead, the second-year infielder put an end to a tight contest.
“That was the coolest moment of my career so far,” Westburg said. “I’ve never had a walk-off in all my years I’ve played baseball. To have my first one here in Baltimore is pretty special.”
Ryan Mountcastle homered and drove in three runs for the Orioles.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, the second straight game in which each went deep.
With the score tied at 3 in the eighth, singles by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman put runners at the corners with two outs for Mountcastle, who reached on an RBI infield single when first baseman Nick Loftin couldn’t handle the throw from the shortstop Witt.
That gave closer Craig Kimbrel (1-0) a chance to seal the victory in his Baltimore debut. But Kyle Isbel singled, and pinch-runner Dairon Blanco stole second and third before scoring on a fly ball by Maikel Garcia.
Westburg delivered in the bottom half. He leaped in joy after rounding first base and was drenched in water after arriving at the plate.
“It just an euphoric feeling, seeing that ball go over the wall,” he said.
Making his Kansas City debut after signing a two-year, $32 million contract in December, Michael Wacha gave up three runs in five innings. The only three hits he allowed came in succession in the fourth, when Baltimore bounced back from a 3-0 deficit to pull even.
“Good one to build off of,” Wacha said. “I felt like I had good command of stuff early, and carried it toward the end of my outing as well.”
Orioles starter Dean Kremer allowed three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Witt hit a solo shot in the third and Perez added a two-run drive to put the Royals up 3-0.
Rutschman doubled leading off the Baltimore fourth, Anthony Santander followed with an RBI single and Mountcastle went deep.
