The game started off so well for the Royals as they got out to a 4-0 lead after the top of the third. But the Pirates scored 8 over the remaining six offensive innings, and the Royals could only score 1 more. KC, therefore, fell to Pittsburgh by a score of 8-5.
Paul Skenes, in his first career start against KC, began well against the Royals. He struck out Carter Jensen and got Bobby Witt Jr. on a routine lineout to center. However, Vinnie Pasquantino was not intimidated by Skenes’ ace bona fides.
In the top of the third, the Royals struck again. Kyle Isbel got a one-out single up the middle, then Bobby lined a single to right. Vinnie came through again, this time with an RBI single. Maikel Garcia then got his first hit since returning from the IL earlier this week, a double into right field. Maikel was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, but not before Vinnie scored the third run of the inning and gave the Royals what seemed like a reasonable lead.
On the other side, it was clear Randy Dobnak was not going to have his best night, despite getting to pitch in front of friends and family as the stadium is only a few miles from where he grew up. He danced around trouble in the first two innings but gave up a two-run bomb to Brandon Lowe in the bottom of the third. Michael Massey got one of those back in the top of the fourth.
However, Dobnak’s struggles continued in the bottom of the fourth inning. He ultimately gave up two more runs before being relieved by Connor Thomas, with Lowe coming back to the plate. Thomas retired Lowe with a strikeout, and the Royals clung to a 5-4 lead. Still, they’d been hitting Skenes hard all night. Surely they could get some more, right?
Right?
Nate Pearson, likely the Royals’ best current reliever, was tasked with pitching the seventh inning. Since coming to KC, Nate* had compiled a 1.57 ERA and 0.5 fWAR. Most on the team by anyone pitching in relief, except for Daniel Lynch IV. After giving up three runs tonight, unfortunately, that ERA rises to 2.63. Still good, but considerably higher. Pearson has now allowed at least one run in three straight appearances. He was battling his control in this one; he walked 1, hit another, and allowed 3 hits. He did strike out 2, but it just wasn’t enough.
*He really needs a good reliever nickname; anyone got any ideas? I’ve got bupkis so far.
On the bright side, Anthony Gose continues to make a case for a bullpen spot next year. I wasn’t sold even a week ago, but now he’s struck out 4 over 2 innings in his last 3 appearances. He has also given up 3 hits, so let’s not ink him to a multi-year deal, just yet, but there is some promise there. And, even better, Lucas Erceg was tasked with pitching the eighth.
We all know Erceg’s story, and I think most of us are hoping for the best for him. He impressed a lot of people in his first appearance back against Houston, but I wasn’t sure I was among them when I watched the replay. Watching live tonight, I’m sold. Pitching like this, he is going to mow some batters down. Sure, he didn’t strike anyone out, and he allowed a hit. But the hit was allowed after a filthy front-hip sinker was called a ball, making the count 2-0. Things probably go very differently if it’s a 1-1 count after that pitch. For that matter, Bryan Reynolds is credited with a double, and I can’t say he didn’t hit it hard, but I will say he was behind that pitch. If he’d been more on time, it’s probably an out because the Royals were playing him to pull. He was tunneling the sinker and slider with elite effectiveness, and none of the remaining three batters made particularly good contact. In fact, the inning-ending double play might have been in doubt if Ryan O’Hearn were a faster runner because it was hit so softly.
More important than whether the Royals won or lost this game are the things that can help them plan their roster for next year. The return of an unfair Lucas Erceg would be a huge boon for next year’s team.
The Royals will take another shot at the Pirates tomorrow evening; Noah Cameron (3.84 ERA, 4.13 SIERA) will face Bubba Chandler (4.28 ERA, 4.78 SIERA) at 5:40 PM Central Time. It should be a really fun pitching matchup.
