Two big innings in the early going, one for each team, set up a tie game for much of the night. The Royals got the key run in the 7th to get their second lead of the night, and it held up for a 5-4 victory.
Seth Lugo had a fairly easy first inning, which has not been the case a lot lately. Then he got a lot of support from his offense before he headed back out. Carter Jensen led the game off with a clean single to right. Bobby Witt decided a single looked nice and did the same with a grounder just
to the left of second base. With Jensen at third, they decided to have Bobby move and probably prevented a double play when Cags hit a hard one right at first for a groundout, but getting it 2nd and 3rd allowed another single from Maikel Garcia to score two and get the Royals on the board. Vinnie Pasquantino was up next and ripped one down the third baseline for a double and another Royal run. That ended Bryan Hudson’s night, not ideal for your opener, and brought in “bulk man” Erick Fedde. He almost escaped the inning with no more damage, but a grounder to short from Michael Massey ended with a wide throw to first that allowed Vinnie to score and end the first inning 4-0.
The Royals managed to load the bases in the 2nd inning as well, and it looked like maybe they could just blow the White Sox out. It was not to be as Vinnie popped out to end the threat and Fedde escaped and gave his offense an opportunity that they did not waste. Lugo, after two clean innings, ran into a lot of trouble in the third. Chase Meidroth laid a pretty bunt single down to start the inning. Two batters later, Braden Montgomery singled as well and made it first and third with one out. Then Lugo loaded the bases by hitting Sam Antonacci with a pitch. Kyle Teel, Miguel Vargas, and Munetaka Murakami then had three hits in a row with two singles and capped off with a double. The game was tied up and Kansas City’s nice start nullified. A groundball to Pasquantino was played home to get Vargas trying to score before another hit by pitch loaded the bases yet again. Lugo threw over 30 pitches but did get Meidroth out his second time up in the inning to keep the game 4-4.
Lugo got into some more trouble in the 4th after Montgomery and Antonacci reached base again. This time it was back-to-back singles and that ended Lugo’s night. Anthony Gose came in with one out and runners on first and second. He walked the bases loaded, but he then got Vargas to hit a grounder to short for a double play and get out of the jam.
Fedde also failed to get through the fourth. He walked Isaac Collins to open the frame and was pulled before it wrapped back to the top of the lineup. A grounder for a double play kept it from ever materializing into any runs however. In fact, a GIDP ended three consecutive half innings, two of which were against the Royals. Both teams, after scoring their four-run inning, were settling into a long stalemate. Finally, in the 7th, the Royals got the lead back. It was again started by a Carter Jensen single, his third of the night. Bob hit into a fielder’s choice to get him out and take over first base. He moved to second on a Jac Caglianone ground out before Maikel hit a hard liner into the left field corner to bring Witt home and grab a 5-4 lead. Hat tip to Gose and Connor Thomas who were sharp through these middle innings for KC picking up a combined 3 2/3 innings with no runs allowed.
The 8th inning went to Lucas Erceg, who I guess is back to being a high leverage reliever after getting sent down to the minors for underperforming. He has looked much better since returning to the big leagues. He only needed 9 pitches to get all three batters he faced out and send the game to the ninth. Maybe the old Erceg is back. That would be very helpful going into an offseason where the bullpen needs significant retooling.
Steven Cruz came out for the 9th. It was his first time in a game since Saturday when he blew a save against Pittsburgh. He looked very in control in this one striking out the first two batters of the inning and then ending it with a flyout to center. He did surrender a single before the flyout, but it was a nice outing for Cruz who got the save.
So, the Royals keep Cleveland in first place for another day and have a shot to win the series against Chicago tomorrow.
