Homers again do in Ian Kennedy and the Royals as they lose to Mariners
Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio’s return from the restricted list, where he spent 80 games suspended for testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Boldenone, did not provide a spark for the Royals' offense as they opened a three-game set at Safeco Field against the 52-win Mariners.
Bonifacio was 0 for 3 as the Royals were held to six hits by Mariners starting pitcher Marco Gonzales, who threw a complete game, in Friday night’s 4-1 loss.
Home runs did the Royals in. Their starters have allowed 77 homers this season. Only the Orioles, Rangers and Reds have yielded more.
The Mariners only tallied three hits against Royals starter Ian Kennedy, who allowed three runs in five innings before being removed for precautionary reasons when he felt a muscle in his left side tighten. But Mitch Haniger hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Kennedy and Mike Zunino tacked on a solo shot in the fifth that traveled an estimated 454 feet to left field, where the fence is 376 feet away from home plate.
"I felt like I was pretty efficient for the most part," Kennedy said. "It's just kind of how it's been going."
The Royals had a chance to score in the fourth inning, when Rosell Herrera was credited a one-out double on a line drive that glanced off the heel of Denard Span’s outstretched glove. Mike Moustakas followed with a single on a ground ball that hit third baseman Kyle Seager on the wrist of his glove hand. But Salvador Perez, who’s batting .154 (14 for 91) in June, grounded into his team-leading 14th double play of the season to end the Royals’ threat.
"(Gonzales) did a good job of establishing in and getting us looking in and then getting us out away," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He just did a good job of getting us off-balance. We got as many hits as they got, but they out-slugged us. That generally will win you a game."
The Royals, who fell to 25-56, will send starter Jason Hammel to the mound at 9:10 p.m. Saturday.
Mariners 4, Royals 1
Kansas City | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
Merrifield cf | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .284 |
Herrera rf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .236 |
Moustakas 3b | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .258 |
Perez c | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .211 |
Bonifacio lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
Duda 1b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .250 |
Dozier dh | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .221 |
Escobar ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .198 |
Mondesi 2b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .226 |
Totals | 29 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
Seattle | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
Gordon 2b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .285 |
Segura ss | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .338 |
Haniger rf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .269 |
Cruz dh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .273 |
Seager 3b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .231 |
Healy 1b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .239 |
Span lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .254 |
Zunino c | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .194 |
Heredia cf | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .234 |
Totals | 29 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Kansas City | 000 | 000 | 001 | — | 1 | 6 | 0 |
Seattle | 000 | 210 | 10x | — | 4 | 5 | 0 |
LOB—Kansas City 3, Seattle 6. 2B—Herrera (3), Mondesi (3). HR—Haniger (17), off Kennedy; Zunino (12), off Kennedy. RBIs—Moustakas (50), Segura (45), Haniger 2 (61), Zunino (28). S—Herrera.
Runners left in scoring position—Seattle 2 (Haniger, Healy). RISP—Kansas City 2 for 5; Seattle 1 for 3.
GIDP—Perez, Dozier.
DP—Seattle 2 (Segura, Gordon, Healy), (Segura, Gordon, Healy).
Kansas City | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | NP | ERA |
Kennedy, L, 1-8 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 74 | 5.11 |
Adam | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 4.41 |
Maurer | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 10.80 |
Smith | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 6.03 |
Seattle | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | NP | ERA |
Gonzales, W, 8-5 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 96 | 3.77 |
HBP—Gonzales (Duda).
Umpires—Home, Jim Reynolds; First, John Tumpane; Second, Mike DiMuro; Third, Mark Wegner.
T—2:26. A—25,558 (47,943).
This story was originally published June 29, 2018 at 11:48 PM.