Royals 8, Mariners 6: Perez Breaks Open a Five-Run Fifth After Woo Falters

The lead

May 24, 2026 - Kansas City - The Kansas City Royals won consecutive games for the first time since May 9-10 with an 8-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium, as Salvador Perez delivered the go-ahead, two-out single in a five-run fifth and Carter Jensen followed with a two-run double, per the Associated Press recap on CBS Sports.

Julio Rodriguez homered in the first, but Kansas City's middle-inning burst flipped a 1-0 deficit into a lead Seattle could not reclaim.

How the game turned

Bryan Woo (4-3) had allowed just two runs over his previous 18 innings, but the fifth unraveled. After walking Michael Massey and surrendering a two-strike bunt single to Kyle Isbel, Woo intentionally walked Vinnie Pasquantino to load the bases with two outs.

Perez slapped a two-run single through the left side—making Woo pay for the free pass—and Jensen's double made it 4-1 and knocked Woo from the game. The Royals added runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth before Lucas Erceg allowed three in the ninth in a non-save situation but finished the win.

Pitching and matchup notes

Seth Lugo (2-4) allowed three runs and six hits over 6⅓ innings for his first win since his March 29 season debut, ending a 19-inning scoreless streak from Kansas City starters that began the afternoon. Maikel Garcia added two RBIs as part of a balanced attack.

AthX Engine graded the Royals at 13 team FP on the full Sunday card.

Bats that changed the board

Perez's clutch single broke a season-long struggle at the plate and ignited the offense when Woo chose to pitch around Pasquantino. Jensen's double extended the frame and turned a tight game into a comfortable lead.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

Intentional walks can backfire in AthX Engine scoring when the next bat delivers—Perez's two-run single and Jensen's follow-up double drove 13 team FP without a single 15 FP individual hitter. That spread production model differs from dynamic pricing, where trader demand sets share movement.

What comes next

Seattle opens at Athletics on Monday with Emerson Hancock (3-2, 3.07 ERA), per AP. Kansas City hosts the Yankees for a Memorial Day matinee with Michael Wacha (4-2, 2.70 ERA) on the mound.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, CBS Sports recap, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*