KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-1 on April 6, 2025, at Kauffman Stadium, securing their first series win of the season. Kris Bubic pitched into the seventh inning for the Royals, allowing just one run, while the Orioles struggled offensively, managing only five hits in the loss.
The Royals jumped ahead early, scoring three runs in the first inning off Orioles starter Cade Povich. Bobby Witt Jr. tripled and scored, followed by a two-run double from Michael Massey. Freddy Fermin added an RBI single in the second, pushing the lead to 4-0. Povich lasted six innings but surrendered four runs on a career-high 13 hits, dropping his record to 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA.
Bubic, improving to 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA, held the Orioles scoreless until the seventh. Ryan Mountcastle tripled to lead off the frame and scored on a wild pitch, ending Bubic’s outing after 6.2 innings, five hits, and eight strikeouts. Relievers Hunter Harvey, Lucas Erceg, and Carlos Estévez shut down Baltimore the rest of the way, with Estévez earning his second save.
Witt Jr. led the Royals’ 13-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with a double and a triple, raising his season average to .297. Salvador Perez and Mark Canha each added two hits, while Massey’s two RBIs boosted his total to five. The Royals capitalized on three hits with runners in scoring position, finishing 3-for-10.
For Baltimore, Mountcastle paced the offense with three hits, including his first triple of the year, lifting his average to .324. Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg each had a single, but the Orioles went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left four on base. Gunnar Henderson, in his first game back from a rehab stint, went 0-for-4, dropping his average to .077.
The Orioles’ pitching staff limited further damage after Povich’s exit. Seranthony Domínguez and Yennier Cano combined for two scoreless innings, but the early deficit proved too much. Baltimore fell to 4-6, fifth in the AL East, while Kansas City improved to 4-5, second in the AL Central.
The game, attended by 19,098 under partly cloudy skies with a temperature of 50 degrees, lasted 2 hours and 17 minutes. Umpires Jordan Baker (home plate), Stu Scheurwater (first base), Dan Merzel (second base), and Mark Carlson (third base) officiated.
Next, the Orioles travel to Arizona for a three-game series against the Diamondbacks, starting April 7. The Royals remain home to face the Minnesota Twins in a four-game set beginning the same day.
