Isbel and Pasquantino power Royals to 9-6 win over Braves after Acuña exits with injury

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kyle Isbel hit a pivotal three-run double and Vinnie Pasquantino homered as the Kansas City Royals beat Atlanta 9-6 on Tuesday night after Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. exited with tightness in his right Achilles tendon.

Seth Lugo (8-5) won his first start since agreeing Monday to a $46 million, two-year contract for 2026 and ’27. Pasquantino finished with three hits and two RBIs.

Bobby Witt Jr. also drove in two runs for the Royals, and Jonathan India had a two-run double.

Marcell Ozuna homered and knocked in three for Atlanta, and Austin Riley also went deep. But right-hander Erick Fedde (3-11) fell behind 4-0 after two innings in his Braves debut.

Michael Harris II had three hits.

Acuña left in the sixth inning after chasing down a ball in right field. He will be placed on the 10-day injured list, the Braves said.

Pasquantino hit a solo homer in the first, and Isbel gave Kansas City a 7-3 lead with his bases-clearing double in the sixth. Witt added a run-scoring single and Pasquantino an RBI double to make it 9-3.

Lugo took a shutout into the sixth, but got only two more outs. He was charged with three runs and seven hits while striking out five and walking four.

Carlos Estevez, the fifth Royals reliever, got three outs for his 28th save.

Key moment

With the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth, Hunter Harvey retired Jurickson Profar on a flyball to preserve a 4-3 lead for the Royals before they scored five times in the bottom half.

Key stat

The Royals have scored at least five runs in seven of their last 11 games, something they accomplished only 21 times prior to the All-Star break.

Up next

The Braves will send LHP Joey Wentz (2-2, 5.76 ERA) to the mound on Wednesday. The Royals hadn't announced a scheduled starter.

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