KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals fans may want to keep their ticket stubs from Tuesday’s game. The price of admission wasn’t enough to justify the oddities that occurred at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals mustered two hits against the Cleveland Guardians. Freddy Fermin hit a single in the third inning and Edward Olivares doubled in the eighth, a leadoff shot off the left-field wall that paved the way to a 1-0 KC lead entering the ninth.
Yet somehow, the Royals let victory slip through their grasp again. The Guardians scored two in the ninth — both men crossing the plate on a double to right off closer Scott Barlow by Blue Valley High and K-State product Will Brennan — to win the series opener 2-1.
After Olivares got aboard in the eighth, he was replaced on the base paths by Dairon Blanco. The Royals speedster stole third and was 90 feet away from home plate.
Blanco would score in an unconventional way. Royals second baseman Nicky Lopez hit a comebacker to Guardians relief pitcher Trevor Stephan. The reliever fielded the ball cleanly but made an errant throw home that flew past Cleveland catcher Bo Naylor.
Blanco crossed the plate during the scramble for the ball. That set the stage for Barlow, whom Royals manager Matt Quatraro called upon to save the game.
Barlow, who is typically consistent and reliable in such situations, was hit hard in the ninth inning. He allowed a single to Josh Naylor and a walk to Andres Gimenez.
But the major blow was Brennan’s one-out double. The extra-base hit scored both Naylor and Gimenez. KC failed to score against Guardians star closer Emmanuel Clase in the bottom of the ninth and fell to 22-57.
Brady’s Bunch: Singer finds groove vs. Guardians
Brady Singer had command of all of his pitches against the Guardians on Tuesday. He pitched six scoreless innings with an effective sinker and slider combination. Both pitches kept Cleveland’s hitters off-balance.
Singer threw 54 sinkers during his outing and used the pitch to generate 21 swings and three whiffs. His slider was also effective, as he utilized it to scatter four hits and strike out three batters.
The Royals didn’t provide enough offense for Singer to earn a victory. But he looked sharp after a string of disappointing starts.
Gavin Williams leaves Royals’ offense guessing
The Royals struggled to get a read on Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams. The KC offense didn’t have many opportunities to score.
Williams pitched seven innings and allowed just one hit. He struck out six, throwing 92 pitches with 70 strikes. He induced six ground balls and four flyouts to keep the Guardians in the game.
What’s next: The Royals continue their three-game set with the Guardians. KC hasn’t announced a starter for Tuesday’s game. Zack Greinke will start on Thursday afternoon against Shane Bieber.
