Carter Jensen hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning, had three RBIs and finished a single shy of the cycle as the Kansas City Royals beat the visiting Miami Marlins 7-3 on Thursday.
Jac Caglianone added two hits with two RBIs for the Royals (63-78), who salvaged the finale of a three-game series.
Kansas City starter Michael Wacha (9-8) won his fourth straight outing, allowing three runs on six hits in six innings for his 19th quality start. He struck out seven and walked two.
The Royals trailed 3-2 against Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara (13-9) entering the fifth. Kyle Isbel (2-for-3) hit a one-out single and scored on Jensen’s towering drive into the right field seats, the catcher’s third homer in the past two games.
Kansas City added some insurance with three runs in the eighth. Jensen doubled and eventually scored on Caglianone’s single. Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino each followed with an RBI double.
Alcantara allowed four runs and six hits over six innings as the Marlins (71-70) dropped their fifth consecutive start made by the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner. He fanned two and walked one.
Heriberto Hernandez and Agustin Ramirez homered for Miami, which closed out a 3-4 road trip.
The Marlins wasted no time getting to Wacha, as Hernandez sent the first pitch of the game just over the left field wall.
Miami made it 2-0 in the second inning. Jakob Marsee doubled to right, went to third on Ramirez’s groundout and scored on Joe Mack’s chopped single to right over the drawn-in infield.
Kansas City tied the game in the third. Isbel singled, then scored on a triple to the right-center-field wall by Jensen, who came home on Caglianone’s double.
The Marlins regained the lead when Ramirez opened the fourth by sending a Wacha pitch over the center field wall.
Miami first baseman Kyle Stowers, who had four hits in the series, exited late in the Thursday contest due to left hamstring tightness.