Carter Jensen stays hot, powers Royals tp 7-3 win vs. Marlins

Blair Kerkhoff, The Kansas City Star on Sep 3, 2026

Published in Baseball

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Before Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins, Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone was presented with his AL Player of the Month Award from general manager and president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo. The way he’s going, Carter Jensen might press Picollo into the same duty next month.

Jensen’s RBI triple and two-run homer powered the Royals to a 7-3 victory over the Miami Marlins and allowed Kansas City to avoid the sweep at Kauffman Stadium.

Jensen blasted a pair of home runs in Wednesday’s game, and added three hits on Monday. That’s three straight multi-hit games in September. With his double that started a three-run ninth and broke open the game, he finished the evening a single away from the cycle.

His earlier knocks caused the most damage. Jensen’s triple, smoked to the right field wall, scored Kyle Isbel, who had singled in the third, and put the Royals on the board. Caglianone’s two-out double scored Jensen to make it 2-2.

The Marlins had reclaimed lead when Jensen stepped up in the fifth, again with Isbel on base with another hit.

Jensen parked Sandy Alcantara’s slider over the right field wall, a shot measured at 444 feet.

Now it was up to the Royals’ bullpen, coming off a rough night, surrendering five runs in a 9-6 loss, a game in which the Royals led 5-2.

This time, the pen held, and the only drama was provided by Craig Kimbrel. He retired the first two batters in the seventh before feeling nauseous. He remained in the game but hit Kyle Stowers in the foot with his first pitch and exited.

Nate Pearson finished the seventh and eighth for the Royals, with Steven Cruz taking the ninth in support of starter Michael Wacha.

The game didn’t start Wacha’s way. He surrendered a home run to Heriberto Hernandez on the game’s first pitch. Agustin Rameriz did the same thing to Wacha in the third inning.

But Wacha battled through six innings, posting a quality start and left with the lead largely thanks to his battery mate, Jensen, who is on a tear.

Up next?

The homestand continues on Friday when the Toronto Blue Jays visit Kauffman Stadium. Daniel Lynch is scheduled to start for the Royals in a game set to begin at 7:10 p.m.