It was a remarkably quick game as both teams combined for only 10 runners total. The Royals evened the season series and took the weekend series with a 3-1 victory over one of the teams that bedeviled them so much earlier in the season.
Watching this game, you might not have realized just how well Michael Wacha was pitching. It wasn’t ever close to being a no-hitter; he wasn’t striking out everyone he saw. But when he left the mound after the top of the seventh, he had struck out 6 and allowed only 4 baserunners and 1 run all night. The lone run came on a blast from Hao-Yu Lee in the top of the fifth. That was one of only three times in the entire game that Wacha allowed a runner as far as second base.
Alex Lange pitched a clean eighth, and Craig Kimbrel continued the closer carousel for the Royals, becoming the eighth pitcher to pick up at least one save for KC this season. That number includes Daniel Lynch IV, starting tomorrow; Eli Morgan, no longer with the team; and Lucas Erceg, demoted to Omaha earlier this week. Just one more way of saying the Royals’ bullpen has been an absolute problem this year. It also marked Kimbrel’s first save since 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles, and the Royals became the ninth team for whom he has saved a game.
It was a good thing the pitching was so effective, despite Kimbrel’s struggles in the ninth, because the Royals’ offense couldn’t get much going. Kyle Isbel led off the third inning with a no-doubt blast, the third time in his career he has hit home runs in back-to-back games.
Salvador Perez walloped one foul down the left field line foul before going deep to dead center instead.
The Royals scored their third run in the bottom of the sixth when Jac Caglianone smoked a double at 102.2 MPH just past Spencer Torkelson. He advanced to third on a Perez ground out and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
And that’s about it. Like I said at the top, it was a quick, simple game. Just a touch over 2 hours in total length. The Royals can go for the sweep tomorrow. Whichever team wins that game will also win the season series. Daniel Lynch IV (2.83 ERA, 4.02 SIERA)will get the starting nod from the Royals, surely to be followed by Mason Black. The Tigers are expected to counter with Framber Valdez (4.35 ERA, 4.36 SIERA), though MLB currently has them with TBD.
The Royals now must win 24 of their final 31 in order to finish the season at .500.
Read the full article here