Salvador Perez's bloop single keyed a two-run, eighth-inning rally as the visiting Kansas City Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 Monday.

Perez had hit eight home runs in his last 11 games, but his game-tying hit barely traveled 100 feet.

Domingo Tapia (2-0) retired all five batters he faced in relief to earn the victory. Scott Barlow picked up his 11th save.

Cole Sulser (4-4) took the loss.

Zac Lowther pitched well enough to earn his first major league win, but he took a no-decision. He came in with an ERA of 10.80 in five career appearances (one start). He held the Royals to one run on three hits in six innings.

Kris Bubic also pitched well but wasn't involved in the decision. He allowed two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Austin Hays extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games with an RBI single in the third that gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead. He drove in Austin Wynns, who reached on a one-out single.

Former Oriole Hanser Alberto tied the game in the top of the fifth with a lead-off home run. It was Alberto's first game in Baltimore after spending 2019-20 with the Orioles.

Cedric Mullins put the Orioles back up with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth. It was his 26th home run of the season to go with 26 stolen bases. On Sunday, he became the third Oriole with at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases (Don Baylor and Reggie Jackson).

Perez tied the game in the top of the eighth. Whit Merrifield led off with a double off the right-field wall. He moved to third on a sacrifice by Nicky Lopez, bringing up Perez. Perez came into the game with 102 RBIs, second in the majors behind Jose Abreu of the White Sox.

Perez's RBI came on a bloop hit just beyond the drawn-in infield. Perez then scored on Andrew Benintendi's two-out single for the go-ahead run.

Benintendi robbed Anthony Santander of a home run in the bottom of the ninth.

--Field Level Media