After a three-hour rain delay, the Kansas City Royals blew a lead, dropping the series finale to the Chicago White Sox, 6-5.
The first three games all had final scores of 2-0, but this one was a fun, back and forth affair. The White Sox got on the board first, in the second inning. After Noah Cameron got two quick outs, Colson Montgomery smacked a double up the right field line, and Tanner Murray, who got his first major league hit yesterday, smoked his first major league home run to left field, and the Royals were down 2-0.
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After the first seven Royals were sat down, Isaac Collins singled and Kyle Isbel walked. Jonathan Cannon then came in, the planned bulk pitcher today for the White Sox. Well, that didn’t go as planned. He came in and walked three straight Royals to help the KC offense tie the game at 2. Cannon would then leave the game with an injury.
The Royals were still 0 for their last 32 with a runner in scoring position after Salvy struck out. Carter Jensen came up, bases loaded, two down, game knotted at 2. Jensen broke the streak on a swinging bunt on the first pitch. A 40.4 mph exit velo, roller up the 3rd base line was picked up by the pitcher and he had no play. The Royals took the lead 3-2.
In the top of the fourth, Cameron gave up a one out single, but got a pop out to Jr. However, on the first pitch Montgomery blasted one inside the right field foul pole, 4-3 Chicago.
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Jac Caglianone led off the bottom half of the inning for the Royals. He promptly smashed a double into the corner, and Collins smashed a single up the middle to tie the game again at 4. Isbel bunted Collins over to second, and Witt smacked a two out single to center to pull the Royals back in front 5-4. All of a sudden, the Royals were hot with RISP.
The 6th inning is where Cameron started to get erratic. After a quick first out, he walked Munetaka Murakami, Lenyn Sosa singled and a walk to Edgar Quero loaded the bases. Cameron would be relieved by Nick Mears. Cameron went 5.1 innings, giving up 6 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks and striking out 4.
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Mears would go 3-1 with Montgomery, before getting him to pop up. However, he would walk Andrew Benintendi to tie the game back up at 5. Mears struck out the next batter to end the threat.
John Schrieber got the 7th, and as it has been for him all season, it didn’t go well, a leadoff double, hit batter and sac bunt, had the White Sox with 2nd and 3rd and one out. The Royals intentionally walked Murakami, the lefty to face Sosa. Schrieber threw a wild pitch to let the run score. He retired the next two hitters.
In the bottom of the 7th, Witt led off with a walk, but Vinnie, Salvy and Jensen couldn’t do anything with it.
Michael Massey looked to have tied the game to lead off the bottom of the 8th with a solo homer, but Dustin Harris reached over to bring it back. White Sox carried the 6-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
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Isbel struck out to start the inning. Maikel Garcia weakly flew out to center, and Bobby Witt Jr . walked, giving Pasquantino a chance with two out. Vinnie quickly struck out in an ugly at bat. Splitting series at home against the lowly White Sox is not a good omen for the season. The Royals have won just one series 16 games in, they have either split or lost every other series. The schedule doesn’t get any easier ahead either. Man, sometimes I hate how much I care and stock I put into this team.
The Royals drop to 7-9 on the season. They split the series with the White Sox. They are off tomorrow, before being back in action Tuesday in Detroit, with first pitch being at 5:40 p.m. CT. Cole Ragans will pitch against Framber Valdez. After a three-game series in Motown, the Royals will be in the Bronx for a three-game set against the Yankees next weekend.
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