KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals’ best pitcher in May fell back with a thud as a losing streak continued through early June.
Brady Singer was shelled for seven runs in five innings — that included three home runs allowed — as the Houston Astros blasted their way to a 10-3 victory over KC on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium.
This was only the latest in a Royals season that continues to circle the drain. KC lost its fifth game in a row and now has dropped 12 of 14. The team’s 16-34 record also remains as the worst in baseball.
Singer — the Royals’ best story during a 9-20 May — had allowed just three runs over 19 2/3 innings in his last three starts. That included two shutouts following a stint in Triple-A Omaha where he developed his change-up and regained stamina to start.
Houston, though, had him figured out early on Friday.
The Astros connected on three home runs — all against Singer sinkers — while grabbing a 7-0 lead that led to Singer’s departure in the sixth.
That ensuing inning would only get worse for KC. Reliever Ronald Bolaños was wild, allowing three hits and walking in a pair of runs before manager Mike Matheny came out to get him. Frustrations from the 22,516 at Kauffman Stadium boiled over then, with some boos raining down with the Royals trailing 10-0.
A glimmer of the future came right after that, as rookie Bobby Witt Jr. turned on a José Urquidy pitch in the bottom of the inning and crushed it to the fountains in left field — the 443-foot blast registering as the longest of his professional career.
The Royals also could be facing a lingering issue with one of their best players. Salvador Perez, who was originally scheduled to play catcher Friday, was switched before the game to designated hitter because of a lingering thumb injury. Perez went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, while on a few swings appearing to take his left hand off the bat on his swing’s follow-through.
Perez previously went on the IL with that same thumb injury in mid-May.
Matheny said before the game that Kris Bubic — on the team’s taxi squad — was expected to start Saturday’s game against Houston. The team previously had not designated a starter.
