Salvador Perez Ties George Brett's Royals Home Run Record in Sweep of Giants

Forty years of franchise history shifted with one swing at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday.

Salvador Perez launched a two-run homer in the seventh inning against San Francisco, the 317th of his career, matching George Brett's all-time Royals record that had stood untouched since 1986.

The blast sparked a five-run rally that turned a 3-0 deficit into a 5-4 victory and completed a three-game sweep of the Giants.

The homer came moments after a close safe call at second base kept Vinnie Pasquantino aboard and got Giants manager Tony Vitello ejected for the third time this season.

Nick Loftin followed with a tying single, Lane Thomas added a two-run knock, and rookie reliever Steven Cruz survived a shaky ninth inning that included a Casey Schmitt homer to earn the first save of his career.

"That was a super exciting moment. Especially doing it here in Kansas City. I love the fans here. Kansas City is my second home," Perez said, per MLB.com.

Manager Matt Quatraro did not hide his admiration for his catcher after the game.

"I love that guy. The guy's a Hall of Famer, and you're getting to witness it," Quatraro said. Brett himself weighed in on sharing the top spot after four decades.

"I don't want any of my records to be broken, to be honest with you," Brett admitted, before adding that "it just means that he's been here for a long time, he's been a very productive player, and if anybody was going to break it, I'm glad it's him."

Perez now owns 317 career home runs across 15 seasons, with 14 of them coming this year at age 36.

The nine-time All-Star signed with Kansas City as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela and later added five Gold Gloves and a World Series MVP to his resume, a career arc almost nobody saw coming.

The Royals entered the series sitting fifth in the AL Central at 40-60, yet they took all three games from San Francisco without Bobby Witt Jr., who remains day-to-day with lingering back tightness.

Seth Lugo set the tone Wednesday with seven strong innings, and the offense has looked livelier since Lane Thomas explained what changed for the club during the All-Star break.

The victory also came hours after Perez opened up about his struggles at the plate this season, making the milestone swing feel even sweeter.

Randy Dobnak takes the mound for Kansas City in the opener of that series.

Whatever happens at the trade deadline for the rebuilding Royals, their captain keeps writing one of the best stories in franchise history.