Kyle Stowers' walk-off HR leads Marlins past Royals 8-7 on July 19. Stowers ties franchise records in a historic night. Read how he won the game!
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
In a season defined by grit, the Miami Marlins found their hero yet again in the smoldering-hot bat of Kyle Stowers. With one swing in the bottom of the 10th inning, Stowers launched a two-run, walk-off home run to seal a wild 8-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals, sending loanDepot park into a frenzy and etching his name all over the franchise record books.
Four home runs in two games, 10 consecutive plate appearances reaching base, eight straight at-bats with a hit. Kyle Stowers isn't just hot; he's historic.
Kyle Stowers is simply on another planet. His game-winning blast was his second walk-off of the season and his fourth homer in just two games, tying a franchise record. The All-Star went 3-for-5 on the night, starting with a three-run shot in the first and ending with the game-winner. In the process, he tied club records by reaching base in 10 straight plate appearances and recording a hit in eight consecutive at-bats. His 21st homer also made him the first Marlins lefty to hit 20+ homers since Justin Bour in 2017. It's a legendary stretch of baseball from a player hitting his stride at the perfect time.
This was anything but a simple victory. The Marlins, powered by Stowers' first homer and a solo shot from Jesús Sánchez that snapped a 23-game drought, stormed out to a 5-0 lead. But the Royals clawed back. Kansas City's John Rave played spoiler, hitting a three-run homer off Sandy Alcantara in the fourth and a game-tying solo shot off Calvin Faucher in the ninth to force extras. After the Royals took a 7-5 lead in the top of the 10th on an Adam Frazier double, the stage was set for a dramatic Marlins comeback.
It was a mixed bag for the Marlins' ace. Sandy Alcantara, still working his way back to form after 2024's Tommy John surgery, looked sharp early before running into trouble. The Royals tagged him for four runs in the fourth inning, erasing most of Miami's early lead. While he showed flashes of his Cy Young-winning self, the outing was a reminder that his road back to consistent dominance is a marathon, not a sprint. The bullpen held on just long enough to give the offense a chance to win it.
While Stowers stole the headlines, he didn't do it alone. Before his walk-off, catcher Agustín Ramírez delivered a crucial RBI single to score the automatic runner and pull the Marlins within one. Since his call-up, Ramírez has provided a steady presence and clutch hitting. The victory marked the Marlins' third straight win, improving their record to 45-51. While they remain 9.5 games back in the NL East, this kind of dramatic, character-building win can provide the spark a team needs for a second-half push.
With their seventh walk-off win of the year and a three-game winning streak, the Marlins have a tangible buzz heading into the series finale against the Royals. The question on everyone's mind is simple: what can Kyle Stowers possibly do for an encore? If this weekend is any indication, we'll all want to be watching to find out.
