Royals Rally Past Padres 7-6 with Jensen’s Walk-Off Hit in 10th Inning

Carter Jensen delivered a thrilling two-run single to cap a four-run rally in the 10th inning, leading the Kansas City Royals to a dramatic 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night. The win halted a five-game losing streak for the last-place Royals, showcasing their resilience in a tightly contested matchup.

Lane Thomas set the tone early with a towering 445-foot home run into the left-field fountains, marking the first long ball allowed by Padres starter Michael King since June 10. Thomas, along with Jensen and Michael Massey, each contributed three hits to Kansas City’s offensive efforts, totaling 13 hits on the night.

In a nail-biting finish, the Padres tied the game at 3 in the ninth inning with a solo homer from Ty France. The Royals had a prime opportunity to clinch the game in the bottom of the ninth when Jensen’s double loaded the bases with no outs. However, Padres All-Star closer Mason Miller struck out the next three batters, forcing the game into extra innings.

San Diego took a commanding 6-3 lead in the top of the 10th with an RBI double from Miguel Andujar, followed by a run-scoring single from Fernando Tatis Jr. and a sacrifice fly from Xander Bogaerts. Andujar’s double was his third of the night, and Tatis also finished with three hits, showcasing the Padres’ offensive prowess.

But the Royals were undeterred. Lucas Erceg (4-3) managed to retire Manny Machado with Tatis on third to end the Padres’ scoring threat. Kansas City responded with an explosive rally in the bottom of the 10th, starting with a leadoff single from Salvador Perez that advanced automatic runner Vinnie Pasquantino to third. Massey’s infield single brought Pasquantino home, and Nick Loftin’s perfectly placed bunt single loaded the bases.

After a groundout by Isaac Collins narrowed the deficit to 6-5, Jensen stepped up and delivered his first career game-ending hit, a single into left field, sealing the Royals’ first walk-off win since May 8.

Earlier in the game, an error by Massey at second allowed the Padres to take a 2-1 lead in the fifth, marking his first error since September 18, 2025, ending an impressive streak of 81 games without one. However, Kansas City managed to tie the game in the sixth on a throwing error by Bogaerts and regained the lead in the eighth with Massey’s clutch two-out single.

Royals starter Seth Lugo navigated through six innings, allowing just two runs—one earned—on four hits, aided by three double plays. King, for the Padres, allowed one run on four hits over five innings. Looking ahead, the Padres plan to send RHP Griffin Canning (1-7, 6.47 ERA) to the mound on Saturday, while the Royals have yet to announce their starting pitcher.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.