Royals’ championship core returns the favor to fans in 4-3 victory over Arizona

One by one, they exited. Eric Hosmer in the moments before the fifth inning. Mike Moustakas with one out in the sixth. Lorenzo Cain for a pinch runner. Alcides Escobar in the middle of the seventh.

Royals manager Ned Yost planned this, of course, planned it as his team approached its final weekend here at Kauffman Stadium. He wanted to give his pending free agents another chance to soak in the adulation as the curtain closed on the 2017 season. The choreography began on Saturday night.

And while the execution was not perfect — Hosmer’s departure before the fifth caught most fans off guard — the emotions remained the same. In a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Royals’ championship core combined with a youth brigade to pay back the favor to a crowd of 32,727.

“I think it’s important,” Yost said, “that our fans get the opportunity to see our players play, but also let our players know how much they appreciate them.”

Cain finished 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored. Moustakas went hitless after an emotional pregame ceremony celebrating his record-breaking 38 homers. Hosmer racked up another hit as his batting average settled at .317.

Yet it was the Royals’ collection of young talent that made the difference. Rookie right fielder Jorge Bonifacio clubbed a three-run homer against Arizona’s shutdown reliever Archie Bradley in the bottom of the sixth, erasing a 2-1 deficit. Rookie starter Jakob Junis notched his ninth win after allowing two runs in six innings.

“We’re expecting to win with them next year,” Yost said. “It was nice to see them be able to produce right there.”

Kansas City secured its 46th come-from-behind win of the season, the second most in franchise history behind 50 in 1977. As the season finale loomed, the victory kept alive hopes of a .500 finish or better for a fifth straight season. A possible 81-81 finish will be secondary on Sunday afternoon, when Hosmer, Moustakas, Cain and Escobar play what could be their final game in a Royals uniform. But if you are going to say goodbye, well, might as well do it in style.

On Saturday, the evening began with a special surprise during the pregame ceremony. The Royals had planned to honor Moustakas for his record-breaking season at the plate. Yet as he stood out near the mound, ready to throw out the first pitch, he was surprised by what transpired next. Hosmer grabbed a microphone and began speaking to the crowd. Moments later, he announced the arrival of Moustakas’ father, Mike Sr., who walked slowly out to the mound to join his son.

Two years after the death of his mother, Connie, Moustakas threw out the first pitch with his daughter, Mila, in his arms and his father by his side. The scene set the mood for the rest of the evening.

The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Moustakas grounded into a double play with Cain on third base. Junis allowed two runs, striking out five and walking two, before departing after six innings. Around that time, Yost began to organize his substitutions — with one hitch.

Before the fifth inning, Yost sent Cheslor Cuthbert to replace Hosmer before the inning started. But the crowd did not quite realize what was happening. Hosmer returned to the dugout, receiving a small cheer from those behind the bench.

“I screwed that one up,” Yost said. “I figured that they’d pay attention, and they’d throw the ball down and they would see it and nobody knew what was going on. Being a real smart guy, I figured out real quick that I better wait for an out and everybody get locked back in the game.”

The rest of the substitutions drew loud ovations from the large crowd. As the Royals’ regulars left the game, the game began to turn.

Cain singled with one out in the sixth before Ramon Torres extended the inning with a two-out single to left-center. One batter later, Bradley hurled a 2-2 fastball that tailed toward the inside part of the plate at 98 mph. Bonifacio dropped his barrel on the pitch, cranking a no-doubt, 410-foot shot out to left-center.

“I was looking fastball there,” Bonifacio said. “He was — all the guys before me — pounding the fastball, fastball, fastball. I was looking for that.”

In his rookie season, Bonifacio has batted .253 with 17 homers in 112 games. He has positioned himself to win a starting job next season. On Saturday, his blast represented the Royals’ 192nd of the year, extending their club record.

“I’ll just come ready for spring training and try to make the team,” Bonifacio said.

By the end, Junis had finished his season by improving his record to 9-3 with a 4.30 ERA. In the ninth, Mike Minor worked around a leadoff double, notching his sixth save.

As Minor recorded a strikeout for the game’s final out, the crowd let out a lusty roar. There will be more like it on Sunday afternoon.

Royals 4, Diamondbacks 3

This story was originally published September 30, 2017 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Royals’ championship core returns the favor to fans in 4-3 victory over Arizona."