Kyle Stowers hits 2-run walk-off homer to give the Marlins an 8-7 win over the Royals

MIAMI (AP) – Kyle Stowers hit a two-run walk-off homer and finished with three hits as the Miami Marlins defeated the Kansas City Royals 8-7 on Friday night.

Stowers had already tied a Marlins franchise record with his fourth home run in two games when he hit a three-run shot in the first inning. After Miami had built – then squandered – a 5-0 lead, the first-time All-Star followed with the biggest swing of the game against Carlos Estévez (4-3) that sent the winning shot 394 feet to right field.

Stowers went 3 for 5 and reached base in his first two at-bats to extend his on-base streak to 10 plate appearances, also tying a club record.

Adam Frazier entered as a pinch-hitter in the 10th and drove in automatic runner Jonathan India and Bobby Witt Jr, who had reached on an infield single. Frazier doubled to right off Lake Bachar (4-1) to give Kansas City the lead entering the bottom half.

In the Marlins’ 10th, Augustin Ramirez drove in automatic runner Derek Hill with a single before Stowers’ walk-off.

Kansas City had erased a five-run deficit with a four-run fourth against Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 Cy Young Award winner who hasn’t quite returned to form since missing the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Alcantara gave up hits to three of the first four batters he faced in the inning. John Rave then went deep off the Marlins veteran for his first major league home run, pulling his team within a run.

Rave hit the tying homer in the ninth off Calvin Faucher to send the game to extra innings.

Stowers’ walk-off in the 10th was the second walk-off homer of his career.

Miami has seven walk-off victories this season.

RHP Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.74) starts the second game of the series for the Royals against Marlins RHP Cal Quantrill (3-8, 5.62).