Gabriel Moreno hits go-ahead double in 5-run 9th inning, the Diamondbacks beat the Royals 8-6

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gabriel Moreno gave Arizona the lead in the ninth inning with a two-run double, Ketel Marte added a three-run homer and the Diamondbacks beat the Kansas City Royals 8-6 on Wednesday night.

“We never shut down. It was a character win. I think the guys dug as deep as they could,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “It was a tough environment against a good team. We just got one guy on and kept the line moving.”

Eugenio Saurez homered for Arizona in the second and Joc Pederson and Christian Walker hit back-to-back shots in the fourth to make it 3-1. Pederson has 200 career homers.

With Arizona down 4-3 in the ninth against closer James McArthur (4-4), Lourdes Gurriel Jr singled with one out, Geraldo Perdomo walked and Moreno slashed the double that rolled to the wall in the right-center gap

“I was really looking for a pitch that I wouldn’t hit into a double play. I was able to stay within myself and go to my side, which is right center,” Moreno said through a translator.

After Corbin Carroll followed Moreno with a single, Marte blasted the three-run homer to center.

“That was a super frustrating inning,” MacArthur said. “I felt like I was pretty close at times of getting out of it and just didn’t make the pitch I needed to.”

Marte homered in all three games in the series.

“He’s a beast, I don’t know what else to say,” Lovullo said about Marte, Arizona's line All-Star this season. “He doesn’t surprise me. I’ve seen him do it over and over again. He wants to be in the middle of everything, that’s his personality, and it was a big knock for him.”

Joe Mantiply (4-2) pitched the eighth for the victory and Paul Sewald closed it out after allowing Vinnie Pasquantino’s two-run single in the ninth.

The Royals took the lead with a three-run fourth. Michael Massey doubled and scored on Maikel Garcia’s fielder’s choice. Kyle Isbel followed with a triple to tie it and scored on Ryne Nelson’s wild pitch.

“We left some guys on early, so to fight back and get the lead was big for us,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "But you’ve got to give those guys credit for executing and getting balls in play.”

Bobby Witt Jr. went 3 for 4 for Kansas City to raise his average to .344.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: Arizona returns home to face Pittsburgh on Friday night. The Diamondbacks hadn’t announced a starter.

Royals: RHP Brady Singer (6-6, 3.00 ERA) was set to start Friday night at home against the Chicago Cubs.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte (4) is tagged out by Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) after getting caught in a rundown between first and second base during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ryne Nelson throws from the mound against a Kansas City Royals batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Wacha throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Kansas City Royals' Kyle Isbel celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a wild pitch from Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ryne Nelson during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Kansas City Royals' Kyle Isbel (28) scores on a wild pitch as Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ryne Nelson, left, is late with the tag during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte (4) celebrates hitting a three-run home run with Corbin Carroll (7) during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Arizona Diamondbacks Joc Pederson (3) runs by Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker (53) celebrates hitting a home run with Eugenio Suarez (28) during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte (4) celebrates hitting a three-run home run with Corbin Carroll (7) and Gabriel Moreno (14) during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Joc Pederson (3) celebrates with third base coach Tony Perezchica (21) after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte celebrates hitting a three-run home during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kamala Harris said Thursday that Israel's killing of Hamas' top leader offers "an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza," talking plainly about next steps even as the pro-Palestinian demonstrators who gathered outside her campaign event underscored the complicated politics at play.

The Democratic presidential nominee said the war “must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”

“It is time for the day after to begin,” she said, speaking from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee just moments after the White House released President Joe Biden's statement on the death of Yahya Sinwar. Israeli officials said Sinwar was killed in a battle with Israeli forces in Gaza.

The administration's response to the killing of a chief architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel was carefully choreographed, leaving room for Harris to emphasize the push to end the war as she balances her loyalty to Biden.

With the presidential race at razor-thin margins and the election just a few weeks away, the vice president is seeking to solidify support in battleground states and shore up left flank voters who want to see an immediate end to the bloody conflict, some of whom threaten not to vote for her.

The Biden administration’s support for Israel has complicated her campaign push in metro Detroit, especially in Dearborn, an area home to the nation’s largest Arab American community. The death earlier this month of a Dearborn resident killed in south Lebanon ignited more anger in the traditionally Democratic area.

Speaking Thursday in Flint, Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she was hopeful for an end to the violence.

“Have the hostages returned and have a solution for long-term peace in the region. That’s everything that I think is so important. And, you know, any chance that we can do that, I think would be welcomed by so many people,” she said.

At Harris' next stop in Wisconsin, at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, her remarks focused on Trump and his falsehoods around the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump is “increasingly unstable and unhinged, and will stop at nothing to claim unchecked power for himself," she said.

William Schauberger, a 24-year-old political science major, said ahead of Harris’ rally that he wasn’t optimistic about prospects for resolving the conflict in the Middle East regardless of the election results. He deemed the loss of life in Gaza “straight up genocide” and predicted “neither party will do anything about it.”

Harris has not proposed any policy shifts on Israel, and her remarks largely echoed Biden's statement. But she has, of late, faced increasing pressure to articulate how she would govern differently from Biden.

While Biden’s favorability ratings remain underwater, some of the biggest pieces of his legislative agenda, from infrastructure to lowering the costs of some prescription drugs, are popular, and signaling any daylight with the president on foreign policy at a time of global crises could be seen as reckless.

Biden's written statement on Sinwar's death — released as he was traveling to Germany for a visit with Chancellor Olaf Scholz — focused on how U.S. intelligence helped the Israelis pursue Hamas leadership and noted that Israel had every right to “eliminate the leadership and military structure of Hamas.”

“Today proves once again that no terrorists anywhere in the world can escape justice, no matter how long it takes,” Biden said.

He said he would speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “congratulate them, to discuss the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families and for ending this war once and for all, which has caused so much devastation to innocent people.”

Karnowski reported from La Crosse, Wisconsin, and Long from Washington. Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Milwaukee and Todd Richmond in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Joey Cappelletti in Flint, Michigan, contributed to this report.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, in La Crosse, Wis., Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, in La Crosse, Wis., Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, in La Crosse, Wis., Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, in La Crosse, Wis., Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about the killing of Hamas' top leader Yahya Sinwar in a battle with Israeli forces in Gaza, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, following a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about the killing of Hamas' top leader Yahya Sinwar in a battle with Israeli forces in Gaza, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, following a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about the killing of Hamas' top leader Yahya Sinwar in a battle with Israeli forces in Gaza, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, following a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)