Royals' rally ends in a 5-4 loss to the Dodgers on June 28, 2025, as a bases-loaded chance for Jac Caglianone is erased by a stunning double play.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was the moment every fan dreams of and dreads. Bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, one out, and a chance to be the hero. But for the Kansas City Royals, Saturday ended in heartbreak yet again. A valiant ninth-inning rally against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers came to a crushing halt on a single ground ball, sealing a 5-4 defeat and extending the team's painful losing streak to six games.
Bases loaded, one out, and the game on the line. It's the moment you play for, but a backhand flip and a dramatic stretch at first slammed the door shut.
The energy at Kauffman Stadium was electric in the final frame. Down by a run, the Royals mounted the comeback they've been desperate for. Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez started the rally with singles, and suddenly, the tying run was in scoring position. After a walk loaded the bases with just one out, the stage was set for rookie Jac Caglianone. He hit a sharp grounder, but a slick backhand flip from Tommy Edman to Mookie Betts, followed by a tough, bouncing throw dug out by a stretching Freddie Freeman, turned a game-ending 6-4-3 double play. It was a spectacular defensive play by the Dodgers that ripped the win right out of the Royals' grasp.
Despite the devastating finish, there were signs of life from the Kansas City offense. For the first time since last Sunday, the Royals actually held a lead, thanks to Bobby Witt Jr. He crushed a two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning, a towering shot that injected some much-needed energy into the dugout and the crowd. After scoring just four total runs in the previous four games, seeing the bats come alive, especially from the team's superstar, was a welcome sight.
Starter Noah Cameron had a tough assignment against the Dodgers' potent lineup. He was greeted rudely by a Shohei Ohtani leadoff home run and later served up a tie-breaking two-run shot to Max Muncy. Cameron battled through five innings, allowing three runs in total before taking the loss. However, the bullpen was stellar. The relief corps shut down the Dodgers for the final four innings, keeping the game within reach and giving the offense a fighting chance to rally late. It was a gutsy performance that deserved a better outcome.
The numbers are grim. With this loss, the Royals have now dropped six straight and have yet to win a game at Kauffman Stadium in the month of June. The team's record has fallen to 38-44, dropping them to fourth place in the AL Central. What started as a promising season is now being tested by a brutal stretch of baseball. The talent is there, as shown by the flashes of brilliance, but the inability to close out close games is becoming a defining, and frustrating, trend.
Another day, another one-run loss that felt winnable. The Royals have to find a way to wash away the sting of this defeat and come back tomorrow ready to snap this skid. The bullpen is holding its own and the offense showed it can still produce. Now, they just need to put it all together for a full nine innings and finally get a win for the home crowd. The season is far from over, but the bleeding needs to stop now.
