Gutierrez’s ninth-inning blast lifts Royals to 4-3 win over Padres

Kelvin Gutierrez hit a two-run blast in the top of the ninth to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres in Cactus League action on Sunday.

The Royals’ ninth-inning rally began when Emmanuel Rivera hit a leadoff triple off Padres reliever Nick Ramirez. Seuly Matias drove in Rivera with a single to bring Kansas City within a run, then Gutierrez hit the yellow strip at the top of the center-field wall to give the Royals their first lead of the game.

Michael A. Taylor put Kansas City on the board with a solo blast in the top of the sixth.

While the Royals trailed for most of the day, their pitching staff was solid. Jakob Junis, who appears destined for a bullpen role this season but is being stretched out as a starter during spring training, recovered after allowing a leadoff homer to San Diego’s Trent Grisham and retired the final nine batters he faced, striking out four over three innings.

Carlos Hernández followed Junis and struck out four, allowing just one hit — a solo homer to Eric Hosmer — and a walk over two innings. Wade Davis threw a perfect sixth inning, Alec Marsh allowed a hit and a walk over a scoreless seventh, Jesse Hahn gave up an earned run on two hits in the eighth and Jake Newberry earned the save while surrendering one hit and striking out two over a scoreless ninth.

The Royals are back in action on Monday afternoon, hosting the Athletics at Surprise Stadium. Brady Singer will make his first start of the spring.