Kansas City Royals rookies knocked in five of the team’s six runs, but it wasn’t enough on an Arizona night when the ball kept flying and no lead seemed to provide ample comfort on Tuesday.
There was plenty of reason not to trust any advantage as the lead changed hands three times in the first six innings. The last swing of the pendulum, a five-run sixth inning for the Arizona Diamondbacks, sealed the Royals’ fate.
The Royals’ losing slide extended to six games with an 8-6 loss to the Diamondbacks in the second game of their two-game interleague set in front of an announced 12,616 at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks swept the two-game series.
Royals relief pitcher Taylor Clarke gave up three runs and the lead in the pivotal sixth inning for the Royals, including a pair of home runs.
The loss wrapped up a stretch of 19 games in 17 days for the Royals. They went 6-13 during that stretch with 11 of those games (seven losses) on the road.
Rookie catcher MJ Melendez went 2-for-4 on Tuesday with a home run, a double, two runs scored and three RBIs. Dairon Blanco went 1 for 3 with two RBIs, and fellow rookie Bobby Witt Jr. went 1 for 4 with an RBI.
Whit Merrifield had two hits, a walk and a run scored. Andrew Benintendi hit a double for the Royals (14-28).
____
