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Phillies Blast Royals 6-1; Luzardo Allows One Run

7/5/2026

35 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Phillies Beat Royals

The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 on July 4, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium.
Jesús Luzardo threw six innings, allowing one run on four hits, issuing no walks and striking out nine.
The Phillies hit three homers—by J.T. Realmuto, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Alec Bohm—to build a 4-1 lead.
Michael Wacha surrendered four runs on three homers and seven hits, striking out seven as teams recorded 15 strikeouts with no walks.

Summary

Wacha All-Star

Michael Wacha earned his second All-Star nod, the first pitcher in 11 years to repeat since 2015.
He led the AL with 12 quality starts, reached 1,500 strikeouts and posted a 3.31 ERA.
Bobby Witt Jr. was voted the AL starting shortstop, joining Freddie Patek (1978) and Alcides Escobar (2015) as Royals starters.
Witt tops the Royals in runs, hits, doubles, walks, steals and posts a .290/.362/.832 slash line.

History

Historical Context

Max Scherzer’s back-to-back All-Star nods in 2015 highlighted the rarity of consecutive selections for a pitcher, a pattern echoed when Michael Wacha represented the Kansas City Royals in the 2026 All-Star Game alongside a Phillies power surge. The midsummer showcase, held nearly every year since 1933 except 1945 and 2020, underscores how durable starters and heavy hitters have become central to postseason strategies.

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Phillies Beat Royals

The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 on July 4, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium.
Jesús Luzardo threw six innings, allowing one run on four hits, issuing no walks and striking out nine.
The Phillies hit three homers—by J.T. Realmuto, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Alec Bohm—to build a 4-1 lead.
Michael Wacha surrendered four runs on three homers and seven hits, striking out seven as teams recorded 15 strikeouts with no walks.

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