Jac Caglianone went 4-for-4 with two homers and two doubles and drove in four runs as the host Kansas City Royals spoiled Clay Holmes’ Chicago Cubs debut with a 6-3 victory Saturday night.
It was the third four-hit game for Caglianone, who also reached 20 homers in his first full season, to help the Royals even the three-game series. Seth Lugo (5-7) allowed three runs and five hits over six innings as Kansas City snapped the Cubs’ five-game winning streak.
Acquired from the New York Mets on Monday in one of the Cubs’ primary trade deadline moves, Holmes (4-5) returned to action for the first time since he broke a bone in his leg on May 15 against the Yankees. Holmes gave up four runs, six hits and two walks over four innings.
Ian Happ homered and doubled while Carson Kelly had a two-run double for the Cubs, who lost for just the third time in 11 road games.
Holmes retired the first two batters of his Cubs tenure, then served up a belt-high sinker that Caglianone drove 448 feet into the center field seats. The Royals added on in the second when Michael Massey singled and John Rave walked. Following Nick Loftin’s sacrifice bunt, Josh Rojas drove in two with a single to right past the drawn-in infield.
Holmes’ troubles continued in the third. Bobby Witt Jr. reached via a one-out infield single and scored on Caglianone’s double into the right field corner for a 4-0 lead.
Chicago got to Lugo in the fourth. With two out and Alex Bregman on first, Nico Hoerner singled and both scored via Kelly’s double that included a throwing error by Witt. Happ got the Cubs within 4-3 in the sixth on his two-out drive over the right field fence.
With a runner on first and one out in the seventh, Caglianone belted a Colin Rea pitch to nearly the same spot as his first homer to push the lead to 6-3.
Nate Pearson allowed a leadoff double to Michael Conforto in the ninth, but stranded him to earn his second save of 2026.
