ANAHEIM, Calif.—Adam Frazier hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning and the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 2–1 victory over the hapless Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
MJ Melendez delivered a one-out single off Angels closer Carlos Estévez (0–2) before Frazier put his first homer in 31 games this season into the short porch in right field. Frazier hadn’t homered in 74 games since last July 30 with Baltimore.
Melendez had three hits for Kansas City, which has won three straight and seven of 10. Tyler Duffey (1–0) pitched the eighth.
Jo Adell homered and Griffin Canning pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings for the Angels, who have lost 16 of 21 after Estévez’s third blown save in his last six opportunities.
Matt Theiss got a one-out double off John Schreiber in the bottom of the ninth, but Schreiber got two grounders to wrap up his first save of the season with his new team.
Alec Marsh struck out seven while pitching one-run ball into the sixth inning in his return from injury, but Kansas City was two outs away from its second shutout loss of the season before the Royals came back. Marsh hadn’t pitched since getting hit in the elbow by a comebacker on April 25.
The Angels got a big game from Adell, who made a diving catch on Michael Massey’s line drive in the top of the fifth. He hit his sixth homer of the season several minutes later, driving a 436-foot shot off the artificial rock formation beyond the center field fence at the Big A.
Canning came through with his best start in a rocky season, holding the Royals to three hits and two walks with three strikeouts. After reliever Adam Cimber escaped Canning’s sixth-inning jam by striking out Massey, Matt Moore and Luis García each threw a scoreless inning before Estévez blew it.
Niko Goodrum drew a walk and stole a base in his debut with the Angels, who claimed him off waivers from Tampa Bay on Thursday.
