Things were a lot smoother for Royals starter Kris Bubic. The 2025 All-Star shut down the Marlins across five innings. He allowed three hits and registered two strikeouts before handing the game over to the Royals’ bullpen.

The Kansas City Royals began the second half of the major league season on Friday night with an 8-7 loss against the Miami Marlins, falling in 10 innings. It was a disappointing loss for Kansas City,

Despite seeing their second-longest win streak of the season come to a halt, the four consecutive wins coming into Sunday — and the 21-11 record since June 13 — breathed life into a Marlins’ organization that feels they have enough to make a run in the second half of the season.

Bachar challenged Frazier with a sweeper on the inside part of the plate. Frazier reached down and sent the baseball into right field. Both Jonathan India (in the game as KC’s designated extra-innings runner) and Bobby Witt Jr. came home to score.

Shortstop Otto Lopez drove in all three runs as the host Miami Marlins won again, defeating the Kansas City Royals, 3-1, on Saturday afternoon.

BOTTOM LINE: The Miami Marlins face the Kansas City Royals with a 1-0 series lead. Miami has a 45-51 record overall and a 21-27 record at home. Marlins hitters are batting a collective .254, which ranks fourth in the NL.

The Royals visit the Marlins, and I haven’t been this excited since Jimmy Fallon giggled for an hour on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”