The Royals were looking to sweep the Guardians this afternoon, and finish the road trip 5-1, staying lava hot, unfortunately, Seth Lugo got crushed and the Royals lost 11-1.
After a pair of groundouts to first to start the game, Jac Caglianone doubled down the right field line, Salvador Perez followed up with a bloop single and the Royals were up 1-0. Vinnie Pasquantino followed that with a single that made it 1st and 3rd, but Nick Loftin struck out to end the inning.
That was about the only positive
thing that happened for the Royals today. In the bottom of the first, Seth Lugo gave up a one out double, which was played into a triple after a Cags fielding error. Jose Ramirez smacked a sac fly to tie the game. Lugo gave up a two out walk, and then a two-out, two-run homer to Nathaniel Lowe. 3-1 Cleveland after the first.
In the third inning, two singles and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out for the Guardians. Jo Adell doubled down the left field line scoring two, Lowe hit a sac fly, making it 6-1 after 3 innings.
In the fourth, after getting two outs, Lugo gave up back-to-back doubles, and then a 2-run homer to Ramirez, 9-1 Guardians. Lugo’s final line was 3.2 innings, 9 hits, 9 runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts. Yikes.
Connor Thomas looked good through his first 5 hitters and then ran out of gas it seemed, giving up a pair of runs. The first runs Thomas has allowed as a Royal. Jose Cuas and Luke Maile threw a scoreless inning apiece as well.
The Royals fall to 62-76 on the season. They are 7.5 games behind the Guardians for the final wild card spot. They are 5-5 against Cleveland this season and finished 3-3 against them inside Progressive Field. It was a 4-2 road trip. They are off tomorrow and open a 9-game homestand against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. CT. Randy Dobnak is the expected starter. The Royals finish the month of August 16-11.
