Do you like offense? I hope you like offense. One day after scoring 15 runs against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Kansas City Royals topped that by scoring even more in a 16-12 win over the New York Mets.
So much happened tonight that it would be a very long and very boring blog if I recounted what happened inning by inning. Instead, we’ll approach this in a series of vignettes, accompanied by video highlights.
One of the worst defensive plays, well, ever
The United States Men’s National Soccer Team proved yesterday that highly skilled, trained, and motivated athletes can and do screw up bigtime even when they really shouldn’t. Before any of the run-scoring shenanigans, the Royals channeled their inner USMNT and completely botched some defense.
In the above play, Seth Lugo made a throwing error to first base. Then, Jac Caglianone made a throwing error to…somewhere. Finally, Nick Loftin made a throwing error to home plate. It was truly a travesty of a play. But thankfully, it wasn’t all.
Tyler Tolbert takes over
Two days ago, Tyler Tolbert got a hit. His next time up, he got another yet. Yesterday, Tolbert got a hit. Then he got a hit. Then he got a hit. Then he got a hit. Then he got a hit.
Today, Tolbert stepped up to the plate in the second inning. He got another hit, a home run, for his eighth consecutive hit.
Tolbert wasn’t finished. In the top of the fourth inning, he collected his ninth consecutive hit, an opposite field single. In the top of the fifth inning, Tolbert notched his 10th consecutive hit, an infield single. Things were reaching ridiculous heights. In the top of the sixth inning, Tolbert notched yet another consecutive hit, another infield single. It was his 11th straight hit, the longest streak in the expansion era (since 1961).
But Tolbert wasn’t finished. In the top of the seventh inning, Tolbert notched his 12th consecutive hit, tied for the most all time in MLB history. Like, ever.
While Tolbert wouldn’t be able to get a 13th consecutive hit, he matched the record—first set by Johnny Kling in 1902 and then Pinky Higgins in 1938, Walt Dropo in 1952, and Jose Miranda in 2024.
Rally rally rally rally
My first title for this recap was not exactly kind, as a poor start by Seth Lugo put the Royals in a colossal hole. And yet, they persisted. After the Mets scored three in the bottom of the first inning, the Royals scored a pair on the aforementioned Tolbert home run. After the Mets scored two more of their own in the bottom of the second, the Royals scored another pair in the top of the fourth on the above Lane Thomas hit.
And after the Mets scored another quartet of runs in the bottom of that very inning to put them up 9-4, the Royals tied it up in the fifth with a five-run frame that included doubles by Jac Caglianone, Isaac Collins, and Michael Massey.
Another scoring spree to put the game away
Royals pitching was very bad, and on most nights it would have done Kansas City in. Lugo gave up six earned runs, let alone the other three that were partially due to the Errortastrophe from earlier, of which he contributed. John Schreiber gave up two more. And Matt Strahm gave up one of his own, punctuating a thoroughly disappointing year for the returning Royal.
But gosh darn it, it didn’t matter. With the game knotted at nine-all, Kansas City hung another seven runs on the Mets. A Salvy double. A Nick Loftin homer. Another Thomas double. Walks and more walks. It was a bloodbath, with poor Matt Seelinger wearing the whole inning on his own.
What a game. Anything can happen in nine innings, after all. And for Tolbert, maybe another nine and change.
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