Kansas City Royals' Carlos Duran, left, and Bobby Witt Jr., right, are doused by Kyle Isbel, center, after their baseball game against the Athletics, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bobby Witt Jr. drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the ninth after pinch-hitter Tyler Tolbert hit a tying two-run single, giving the Kansas City Royals a 4-3 victory over the Athletics on Tuesday night.

Trailing 3-1, the Royals loaded the bases with one out in the ninth on a catcher’s interference call, a single and a walk. Tolbert batted for Kyle Isbel and grounded a single into left off Hogan Harris (3-2) to tie it. Elvis Alvarado replaced Harris and got Isaac Collins to line out before Witt blooped a single into left for the Royals’ sixth walk-off win of the season.

The Athletics took an early lead as Zack Gelof drew a first-inning walk, and Jonah Heim drew another to load the bases. Then, Tommy White knocked in the game’s first run with a single to left. A second runner nearly scored, but was thrown out at the plate.

Athletics left-hander Brady Basso exited the game after just one out in the third inning. He gave up two hits and recorded one strikeout in his short, 32-pitch outing.

Jack Perkins inherited one baserunner when he took over, but caught Carter Jensen stealing second. The Royals flew out to end the inning. Perkins also worked around a leadoff walk in the fourth. Perkins held Kansas City to one hit and struck out four in 3 2/3 innings.

Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch IV also made a short appearance. He was replaced before the fifth inning by righty Mason Black.

The Athletics struck again in the sixth, when Jeff McNeil hit an RBI single to left field. Lawrence Butler drew a walk to load the bases and Max Muncy pushed across a run with the team’s fifth walk.

Jac Caglianone led off the seventh with a double, then scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s double. Caglianone and Pasquantino each had two hits.

Royals right-hander Carlos Duran (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless ninth.

PADRES 5, METS 2

NEW YORK — Fernando Tatis Jr. robbed New York’s Francisco Lindor of a grand slam and hit two homers, leading the San Diego Padres to a 5-2 win over the Mets.

Tatis hit the first pitch from Lawrence native Zac Thornton 452 feet into the second deck in left field for his team-record 18th career leadoff homer. Tatis added a two-run homer off Thornton in the fifth. He has 15 homers after opening the season without a longball in his first 238 at-bats.

But, Tatis’ biggest contribution in the game came in the field in the second inning when reached over the wall in right field and pulled back Lindor’s potential slam.

Ty France added a run-scoring single in the seventh for the Padres, who lead the majors with an 18-6 record since July 24. Manny Machado hit his 24th homer of the season, a solo shot in the ninth inning.

Thornton (3-4) gave up three runs and tied a career-high with seven strikeouts in five innings for the Mets, who are 10-4 since the trade deadline.

New York Mets pitcher Zac Thornton, a Lawrence native, throws against the San Diego Padres during the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

RED SOX 9, DIAMONDBACKS 4

BOSTON — Adley Rutschman hit his first homer as a member of the Red Sox, Ranger Suarez picked up his first win since late June and Boston beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4.

Mickey Gasper also homered for Boston and added an RBI single in the seventh as the Red Sox followed up their 16 hits in an 11-1 rout Monday night in the series opener with 13 more hits Tuesday. Eight players had at least one hit for Boston, which has won three of its last four games.

Gabriel Moreno hit a grand slam in the third for Arizona, extending his hitting streak to a career-best 12 games. The Diamondbacks have lost three straight and five of seven.

PHILLIES 6, MARLINS 4

PHILADELPHIA — Bryson Stott put the Phillies ahead with a two-run single in the sixth inning, and Philadelphia rallied for its fifth straight victory, 6-4 over the Miami Marlins.

The Phillies trailed 3-1 before they sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth and scored four times against reliever Michael Petersen (2-3). Alec Bohm, who also had an RBI single in the first, opened the scoring in the sixth with a run-scoring double. After Stott’s hit — which extended his on-base streak to a career-high 19 games — Justin Crawford had a run-scoring single to make it 5-3.

Philadelphia occupies the second NL wild-card spot after sweeping Minnesota and winning the first two against the Marlins.

Alex McFarlane (1-1) allowed one unearned run in the sixth, earning his first career win. Brooks Raley, the fifth Phillies pitcher, retired the side on 12 pitches in the ninth for his first save.

Phillies starter Zack Wheeler gave up two runs in five innings. He struck out seven and walked four.

Griffin Conine homered in the second for the Marlins, his 14th of the season.

BLUE JAYS 10, RAYS 5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Kazuma Okamoto broke Toronto’s rookie home run record with his 25th, Josh Smith and Alejandro Kirk also homered and the Blue Jays beat the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays 10-5 in the opener of their series.

The Blue Jays have won 13 of their last 19 games.

Okamoto gave Toronto a 7-3 lead with his homer in the fifth, breaking Eric Hinske’s team record. Brett Bateman tacked on an RBI single before Smith launched a ball over the right-field wall, capping the scoring for the Blue Jays.

George Springer had an RBI single in the first, and Jesús Sánchez added a run-scoring double. Kirk extended the lead in the third with his homer to left-center field. Kirk also drove in a run with a single in the fourth and Bateman scored another on a wild pitch by Rays starter Nick Martinez (12-4).

José Soriano (10-6) allowed three runs and nine hits in five innings, striking out two.

The Rays scored their first run on a wild pitch, and Taylor Walls brought Tampa Bay within three on a two-run single. Cedric Mullins and Richie Palacios hit sacrifice flies in the eighth.

CARDINALS 3, REDS 0

CINCINNATI — Masyn Winn hit a home run and doubled twice and Kyle Leahy gave up three hits and struck out six in five innings as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-0.

Riley O’Brien pitched the ninth for his 32nd save. It was the 12th time the Reds have been shut out this season and the Cardinals’ ninth shutout win.

It’s the first time Winn had two doubles in a game since July 28, 2025 against the Marlins.

Cardinals left fielder Joshua Báez went 0 for 3 with an RBI on a sacrifice fly. He’s now 0 for 17 with seven strikeouts since his three-homer day at Wrigley Field on Saturday.

Leahy (10-4) threw 90 pitches. It was his 10th straight start allowing two earned runs or fewer.

Winn’s homer off left-hander Andrew Abbott (6-8) in the fifth put the Cardinals ahead 1-0. It was Winn’s fifth homer of the season and his first since July 3. It was also the first homer allowed by Abbott in 23 1/3 innings dating to July 26.

Winn’s second double came with one out in the seventh. He scored when José Fermín followed with a double to make the score 2-0.

Abbott, who surrendered one hit and didn’t walk a batter through the first 4 1/3 innings, allowed two earned runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out six in 6 1/3 innings.

Jordan Walker singled and scored on Báez’s sacrifice fly to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 3-0 in the eighth.

YANKEES 3, ORIOLES 1

BALTIMORE — Trent Grisham hit his 17th home run in the third inning and had a two-run single in the seventh to propel the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Yerry De los Santos (1-0) pitched two innings of scoreless relief for the Yankees (70-55), who began the series opener in possession of the top AL wild-card place and six games behind Tampa Bay for the AL East lead.

Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón allowed Coby Mayo’s 17th homer during four innings in his first start after nearly two months on the injured list with inflammation in his throwing elbow.

Brent Headrick and Fernando Cruz got through the seventh, Paul Blackburn completed the eighth and David Bednar worked a perfect ninth for his 28th save in New York’s second straight win.

Orioles right-hander Shane Baz (4-13) struck out a season-high 10 in 6 1/3 innings but was charged with all three New York runs after he departed with two men on.

Baltimore (61-65) lost its second straight after beginning the night in a three-way tie with Detroit and Texas for the final AL wild-card spot.

GUARDIANS 8, GIANTS 1

CLEVELAND — Jo Adell set a career high with six RBIs and hit a 455-foot, three-run homer in the first inning as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the San Francisco Giants 8-1.

Adell and José Ramírez had three hits apiece for the Guardians, who won for only the fifth time in 15 games this month.

Foster Griffin (14-4) became the fourth big-league pitcher with at least 14 wins this season after he allowed one run in six innings.

San Francisco’s Bryce Eldridge homered for the second straight game. The Giants have dropped five of their last six.

PIRATES 4, TIGERS 1

PITTSBURGH — Braxton Ashcraft allowed five hits over eight efficient innings, Oneil Cruz homered in his return from the injured list, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1.

Ashcraft (13-5), a first-time All-Star this season, struck out four and didn’t issue a walk while throwing just 80 pitches. The 26-year-old right-hander gave up a fifth-inning homer to Tigers rookie Brett Callahan but otherwise cruised to his fourth win in five starts.

Ashcraft became the first Pittsburgh pitcher since A.J. Burnett in 2012 to record a complete game and then work at least eight innings in his next start.

Mason Montgomery worked the ninth for his fifth save.

Spencer Horwitz and Bryan Reynolds added RBI singles for the Pirates, who have won four of six.

Detroit, in a tight race with a handful of clubs for the final AL wild-card spot, has lost four of five.