Kansas City Royals walked off (again) by Baltimore Orioles. Here’s what happened

For the second time in three days, the Baltimore Orioles walked off the Kansas City Royals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

And just like Monday, the Royals held an early lead thanks to good — this time, excellent — starting pitching.

After a rain delay lasting five hours, KC’s Cole Ragans pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out seven while walking two.

But the bullpen couldn’t shut the door: Closer Will Smith took the blown save/loss (more about that below) in a disheartening 4-3 defeat.

“(It was) a fastball down,” Smith said of his final fateful pitch. “Too much of the plate. But the leadoff walk kills us. You just can’t walk guys in the back of a game like that.”

Here’s more about Wednesday’s outcome, which dropped the Royals’ record to 2-4:

Cole Ragans was rolling for Royals

Orioles outfielder Jorge Mateo slammed his bat in disgust. He had just whiffed on a 84.8 mph changeup.

The pitch had darted away from him. It was his second strikeout in consecutive at-bats against Ragans.

Mateo stood with a miffed expression at the plate. It was that kind of night against Kansas City’s No. 1 pitcher.

Ragans seemed unfazed by the cold and rainy conditions in Baltimore on Wednesday. But his start went down as a no-decision.

“He’s an animal out there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I mean, he’s got great stuff. You saw all the soft contact. You saw the swing and miss. The velo was up. He had everything working.”

The Orioles rallied from a 3-0 deficit and got to Smith in the ninth inning. Baltimore loaded the bases before catcher James McCann hit a two-run walkoff single to win it.

Ragans followed fellow starter Alec Marsh with another dominant performance. He retired the first 10 batters he faced.

Orioles star Adley Rutschman tallied the lone hit in Ragans’ outing. The Orioles didn’t produce two base-runners until the seventh inning. Ragans walked two batters but reliever James McArthur extinguished the threat.

The Royals provided Ragans with enough run support. Team captain Salvador Perez finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs. And third baseman Maikel Garcia belted his third home run.

“I felt great,” Ragans said. “I thought me and Freddy had a really good mix from the get-go. I thought we mixed well. We talked about it between innings. He did great back there. The guys behind me, the defense, did great and got me some runs early.”

The KC bullpen blows it

Once Ragans was out of the game, the Orioles were able to rally against the Royals’ bullpen.

In the eighth inning, McCann doubled to set up runners on second and third. Rising star Gunnar Henderson followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

But the Royals escaped further trouble when Adley Rutchsman hit an RBI single and was then thrown out by Hunter Renfroe at second base.

In the ninth, however, the Royals’ tightrope lead cratered. Newly acquired star closer Will Smith walked the leadoff man and then allowed a single.

Westburg sacrificed those men over, and a walk to intentionally load the bases followed. Smith then struck out a man before McCann won it for the Orioles with a single to left.

The Royals’ bullpen had faltered once more.

“It’s really hard, especially when we had the opportunity to win the series,” Perez said. “You know, that’s baseball and that’s part of the game. We need to keep fighting and keep playing hard until the last out.”

KC returns home to play the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

Missed previous games of the series?

Game 1: Royals relinquish early lead in 6-4 loss to Orioles

Game 2: Alec Marsh shines in first start as Royals even series

Maikel Garcia hits 3rd homer of season

Garcia has unlocked his power this season.

In the seventh inning, Garcia hit a solo home run off Orioles reliever Mike Baumann. He didn’t miss a 96 mph fastball that was left over the plate. The homer traveled 377 feet and gave the Royals a 3-0 lead.

Garcia is one home run shy of tying his 2023 regular season total. Last season, Garcia hit four home runs in 123 games.

“I’m hitting the ball a little more out front this year ...” Garcia said. “So I’ve got to keep doing that and I think I can get more.”

Through six games, Garcia owns a .833 slugging percentage and leads the Royals in home runs.

Royals record 9 hits against Corbin Burnes

The Royals took an aggressive approach against Burnes, pounding out three hits en route to a 1-0 lead.

Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. reached base with a one-out double. Perez and MJ Melendez each recorded hits in the inning, and Perez drove home Vinnie Pasquantino with an RBI single.

In the third inning, Witt sparked another scoring opportunity. He singled and stole second base against Burnes for his second steal of the season.

This time, Perez hit a sharp single through the first-base hole. Later, Hunter Renfroe snapped an 0-for-16 streak with a two-out single.

Burnes pitched 5 2/3 innings. He allowed two earned runs and nine hits and struck out three.

“You face a pitcher like Corbin Burnes and you put up the number of hits we did, the quality of at-bats, and make him throw that many pitches — I think these guys earned that today,” Quatraro said.

What’s next: The Royals begin a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium. Seth Lugo draws the start against Michael Soroka. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. Central Time.