'We got a steal': Royals get boost from waiver-claim Rosell Herrera in win over Astros

Royals outfielder Rosell Herrera stood at his locker in Minute Maid Park’s visiting clubhouse on Friday night, a pair of wireless headphones hanging off his neck, and couldn’t remember making a play like the one he made to preserve a shutout in Friday’s 1-0 win over the Astros.

“Rob a home run?” said Herrera, whom the Royals claimed off waivers from the Reds a mere 20 days ago. “No.”

He’d sprinted back to the outfield wall on a diagonal line, chasing a flyball hit by Houston third baseman Alex Bregman in the eighth inning of a scoreless ballgame. It hurtled through the air, covering 368 feet in its approach to the right-center field fence that’s 373 feet away from home plate. Herrera tracked it, then made a well-timed jump at the wall with his glove extended to catch the ball and rob what would likely have been a leadoff home run.

As he landed on his feet, Herrera threw up both his hands. He took a few steps in, pumped his fist, let out a yell and smacked his glove in celebration. In the visiting clubhouse, starting pitcher Danny Duffy said he "lost it."

For a 25-year-old whose career began eight summers ago in the Rockies organization, and who only this week joined the Royals after being designated for assignment by Cincinnati earlier this month, the moment loomed large. Especially once coupled with the RBI triple he laced in the next half-inning, a ninth-inning knock that gave the Royals the only run they needed to beat the Astros and halt a nine-game losing streak.

“I understand that this is a business and Cincinnati decided to make that choice,” Herrera told The Star in Spanish. “But I know I can help a team. I’m just here taking advantage of the opportunity.”

Herrera made better plays than the one that eventually ended Bregman’s 31-game on-base streak, he said, playing mostly shortstop before injuring his wrists in 2014 while he was a Baseball America top-100 prospect in the Rockies’ farm system. Even with the Reds after signing a minor-league contract with the club in November he’d gotten to flash leather around the infield during his short stint.

He hasn’t been afforded that chance yet in Kansas City; the infield is crowded enough now that Adalberto Mondesi is being given a chance to start at shortstop and take over from Alcides Escobar, who made his first career start in center field on Friday.

But Herrera’s value is in his ability to play all over the field. It’s what prompted Kansas City's front office took a chance on his athleticism.

The Royals reaped the benefits of that move on a night where the offense stumbled for a 10th straight game and couldn’t reward Duffy’s seven-strikeout, two-hit performance.

“I can’t harp on Rosie enough — they gotta start buying his jerseys back in Kansas City as hard as he plays,” said Duffy, who pitched six innings. “Every pitch that guy is competing. He has a really bright future. We got a steal.”

Before Herrera’s RBI triple, the Royals left 11 men on base over the first eight innings. Twice they left runners in scoring position against Astros starter Dallas Keuchel, who issued two walks and allowed six hits in six innings.

And in the eighth, when Astros reliever Hector Rondon yielded a Salvador Perez double, intentionally walked Alex Gordon with two outs and issued a five-pitch free pass to Escobar to load the bases, Paulo Orlando whiffed at a 3-2 pitch a ways outside the strike zone to end the inning.

None of those first eight hits they tallied came with runners in scoring position. They went 1 for 11 in such situations, worsening the .215 average that entered Friday ranked second-lowest in the majors.

In the end, Herrera’s second hit of the night — he hit a two-out double off Keuchel in the fifth inning — allowed the Royals to form a high-five line on the field and provide an ice-water bath for the first time since June 9 in Oakland.

“When I was a kid my dad told me 'play hard, respect the game …' and one thing he told me always is every time you go out there you gotta do the best you can,” Herrera said. “That’s what I’m trying to do — the best I can everyday.”

As the Royals improved to 23-52, reliever Justin Grimm got the win and rookie Tim Hill recorded his first career save after working a perfect ninth inning.

“Our guys are playing with energy,” manager Ned Yost said. “When you’re losing it doesn’t look like it. You gotta be inside the dugout to see it. But it’s not like they’re not playing with energy.”

Double play magic: Earlier in the game, Duffy found himself on a knee, gaze pointed over his right shoulder as a batted ball hurtled toward third baseman Mike Moustakas on a hop.

Duffy watched the path of that chopped ball as Astros outfielder George Springer ran home and Yuli Gurriel dashed up the first-base line. With no runs on the board for either team in the sixth and Duffy’s pitch count up to 104, the grounder’s destination would determine Duffy’s fate; he’d loaded the bases on a one-out walk and he desperately needed a double play to retain the tie.

Moustakas delivered, stepping on the bag before slinging a strike to first baseman Hunter Dozier to throw out Gurriel.

It was the second of three double plays the Royals induced to rid themselves of a dubious distinction: They had entered the game tied with the Astros in grounding into double plays with 74. The Astros took the lead, climbing to 77 on the year.

Worth noting: With seven games remaining this month, the Royals need four wins to avoid the worst June in franchise history. The 1970 club went 7-19 for the lowest win total in a full month of play.

This story was originally published June 22, 2018 at 10:34 PM with the headline "'We got a steal': Royals get boost from waiver-claim Rosell Herrera in win over Astros."