Royals’ bats go quiet as undefeated streak ends with 3-1 loss in Minnesota

At the base of Target Field’s 23-foot high outfield wall, Lorenzo Cain trained his eyes skyward, backpedaled on the warning track and waited for the baseball to return to the field of play. He required only a moment to realize the ball would not. It disappeared over the fence in right-center field, the product of Edinson Volquez’s lone, truly regrettable pitch in a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

“The whole game,” Volquez said, “I think I made one mistake.”

After seven games of dominance, the Royals (7-1) resembled mortals on Wednesday. The 9-0 start by the 2003 version of this club remains the franchise’s bench mark for the best beginning to a year. “The perfect season is gone,” said first baseman Eric Hosmer, who was able to crack a smile after his club’s quiet night at the plate.

Volquez (1-1, 2.30 ERA) yielded a two-run homer to Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia in the fourth. The offense lacked firepower against Minnesota starter Kyle Gibson and stranded nine runners. Kansas City cracked nine hits. All were singles.

The scant margin for error magnified each mistake made by Volquez. He did not make many. But with two outs and a runner at first in the fourth, he picked up two quick strikes on Arcia. Behind the plate, Salvador Perez called for a changeup. Volquez shook him off. He would regret this decision.

Volquez tried to sneak a two-seam fastball past Arcia. The ball did not cooperate with Volquez. It drifted over the middle of the plate. Arcia did not miss.

“I get frustrated a little bit, because you cannot make those mistakes in the big leagues,” Volquez said. “They’ll make you pay.”

Volquez finished the evening with three runs allowed on five hits. He struck out seven in 7 2/3 innings. After Arcia went deep, Volquez gave up only one more hit.

Trailing after six innings for the first time this season, the Royals failed to mount a comeback. They played on Wednesday for the first time this season without outfielder Alex Rios. He probably will miss a month due to a fracture in his left hand.

For one night, at least, the Royals ran cold. Hosmer, Kendrys Morales and Salvador Perez all went hitless. Both manager Ned Yost and Hosmer credited Gibson.

“He had a good sinker working tonight,” Hosmer said. “He was pounding the zone early. When you get ahead like that, it makes all their pitchers more effective.”

Their last, best chance expired in the seventh. The team placed runners at the corners for Mike Moustakas, who had already singled twice. But with two outs, Moustakas popped up the first pitch he saw from left-handed reliever Brian Duensing. The rally fizzled when the ball landed in third baseman Trevor Plouffe’s glove.

Minnesota grabbed a first-inning lead. In the bottom of the frame, Danny Santana singled, Torii Hunter walked and Joe Mauer loaded the bases with another hit. There were no outs. Volquez limited the damage to a lone run, in part thanks to his defense.

When second baseman Brian Dozier connected with an 0-1 fastball, Cain stood in left-center field. He ranged nearly into right-center field to flag down Dozier’s sacrifice fly. After inducing a groundball back to the mound, Volquez forced Plouffe to tap a grounder to third base. The ball slowed on the grass and Hunter sprinted homeward. Mike Moustakas scooped the ball with his bare hand and saved a run with his throw to first.

Kansas City matched the score in the fourth. They exploited a mistake by Gibson. With a runner at second, Gibson spun a slider that clipped the back foot of Kendrys Morales. Alex Gordon rifled an RBI single soon after. It was the last act of scoring the Royals would commit against Gibson, who pitched in college for Missouri.

“Tonight, he was on,” Yost said. “He was on his game, executing pitches and keeping the ball down in the zone.”

This story was originally published April 15, 2015 at 9:50 PM with the headline "Royals’ bats go quiet as undefeated streak ends with 3-1 loss in Minnesota."