KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Samad Taylor ended his MLB debut in style.
The Kansas City Royals outfielder drove home the winning run in Saturday’s 10-9 victory over the Los Angeles Angels ... not only in his debut, but for his first major league hit and RBI.
Taylor hit a game-winning single that drove home Nicky Lopez from third base. He also helped the Royals snap a historic 10-game losing streak.
The Royals found some offense on Saturday afternoon. KC broke out of its scoring funk after being shut out in the series opener.
MJ Melendez hit his sixth home run in the third inning. The blast snapped a 12-inning scoreless drought. Meanwhile, Bobby Witt Jr. collected four RBIs. In the eighth inning, Witt recorded a two-run single to complete a six-run comeback.
KC trailed 8-2 in the middle of the seventh.
The Angels tagged Royals pitching in the victory. Royals starter Mike Mayers allowed six runs in five innings of work.
Mike Trout hit an RBI single in the ninth inning. He drove home Andrew Velazquez as the Angels pulled ahead late. KC also couldn’t contain Shohei Ohtani. The former MVP hit his 23rd home run in the seventh inning.
The Royals wouldn’t be denied.
Maikel Garcia tied the game again in the ninth inning. He set the stage for the bottom half, as Taylor drove him home to complete the victory.
— Here are more notables from Saturday’s game:
Melendez blasts sixth home run
The Royals needed an offensive spark after 12 scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels this series. In the fourth inning, Melendez snapped the scoring drought with a two-run homer off Angels starter Griffin Canning.
Melendez hit an 88.2-mph slider over the center-field wall. The blast traveled 422 feet and had a 102.4-mph exit velocity.
It was his sixth home run of the season.
The homer came at a crucial time. The Royals tied the game after trailing 2-0 early. Melendez drove home Salvador Perez, who began the inning with a single.
Taylor makes MLB debut
Taylor was called up from Triple-A Omaha on Friday. He started in left field and batted eighth in the lineup. He went 1 for 3 and recorded two walks alongside the RBI single.
Taylor became the third Royal in franchise history to reach base at least twice via a walk in his MLB debut. He joined Eric Hosmer (2011) and Jorge Pedre (1991) to set the mark.
The Royals have given an extended look to Triple-A standouts in recent weeks. Taylor joins teammates Dairon Blanco and Austin Cox as players that have received a big league promotion.
What’s next
The Royals conclude their weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels. Zack Greinke will start Sunday’s finale against Tyler Anderson.
