Ryne Nelson Dominates as Diamondbacks Beat Royals 7-1 to End Skid

Saturday, July 5th, 2025

PHOENIX — Ryne Nelson retired the first 16 Kansas City batters and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Royals 7-1 on Saturday to end a three-game losing streak.

Pitching Dominance from Nelson

Nelson (5-2), who moved into the rotation full-time when Corbin Burnes was sidelined for the season by elbow surgery, gave up four hits and one run over seven innings. The right-hander threw 86 pitches, walked none and struck out five.

Freddy Fermin’s sharp single to center with one out in the sixth ended Nelson’s perfect-game bid. Fermin scored on Bobby Witt Jr.'s two-out single.

Diamondbacks Offensive Showcase

Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez had RBI singles in the third off Michael Wacha (4-9), and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. doubled in two runs in the fifth for Arizona. Gurriel also tripled in the seventh off Taylor Clarke and scored on James McCann’s double.

Randal Grichuk hit an inside-the-park homer in the eighth. With a man on base, he hit a long fly to right-center that bounced away from outfielders Jac Caglianone and Kyle Isbel and into center field as Grichuk scored standing up for his fifth homer of the season.

Wacha Takes the Loss

Wacha lasted four-plus innings, giving up four hits and four runs. He threw 97 pitches, walking four and striking four.

Player Updates

Before the game, the Diamondbacks activated outfielder Corbin Carroll from the injured list. The 2023 National League Rookie of the Year, who has 20 homers and a major league-leading nine triples, was 0 for 5 in his return. He had been sidelined since June 18, when he sustained a chip fracture in his left wrist when he was hit by a pitch in Toronto.

Utilityman Tim Tawa was optioned to Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move.

Key Moment

Gurriel’s two-out, two-run double off reliever John Schreiber made it 4-0 in the fifth.

Key Stat

Nelson is 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA in his last five starts.

Up Next

Royals RHP Michael Lorenzen (4-8, 4.95) opposes Diamondbacks RHP Anthony DeSclafani (0-0, 4.82) on Sunday the series finale.

In summary

The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-1 on Saturday, July 5th, 2025. Diamondbacks pitcher Ryne Nelson delivered a dominant performance, taking a perfect game into the sixth inning and earning the win. Key offensive contributions for Arizona came from Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suárez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., James McCann, and Randal Grichuk, who hit an inside-the-park home run. Royals pitcher Michael Wacha took the loss. Kansas City's only run scored after Freddy Fermin broke up Nelson's perfect game bid. The Diamondbacks also activated outfielder Corbin Carroll from the injured list before the game. Ryne Nelson has been excellent in his recent starts, holding a 3-0 record and a 2.01 ERA over his last five outings. The series concludes Sunday with a pitching matchup between Michael Lorenzen for the Royals and Anthony DeSclafani for the Diamondbacks.

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