Another day at the office, another pitiful performance by the Kansas City Royals. For the third straight game, the bullpen coughed up a late lead and they were defeated, this time 4-3 by the Pirates.
Michael Wacha did everything he could, going 5.2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 runs, walking 4 and striking out 5, he also threw 113 pitches.
The Royals jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone hit back-to-back one out singles, to make it 1st and 3rd for Salvador Perez. The Captain
came through, singling to center, making it 1-0 in the top of the first.
Oneil Cruz led off the bottom of the 4th, with a solo homer to tie the game at 1. Wacha got two quick outs in the bottom of the 6th, but a pair of back-to-back walks doomed him, as Spencer Horwitz blooped a go-ahead single making it 2-1.
In the top of the 7th, John Rave bunt singled to 3rd, and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s pinch hit go-ahead two run homer. 3-2 KC.
Nate Pearson got the bottom of the 8th for the Royals, allowing a leadoff single to Ryan O’Hearn, then Rafael Flores Jr. hit a long go-ahead two-run homer for the Pirates making it 4-3.
With two outs in the top of the 9th, Luke Maile hit a double off the wall in right, going to third on a fielding error by Jake Mangum. Isaac Collins pinch hit for Kyle Isbel and of course weakly flew out to right field and the Royals lost again.
The Royals finish their final road trip of the season, 2-7 and 28-53 on the road this season and are 67-89 on the season overall. They are off tomorrow before playing the White Sox and Guardians next week at home to end their season.
