Royals shutout victims for first time all season as Ned Yost, Martin Maldonado ejected
One night after the Royals enjoyed a scoring spree that included multiple grand slams as well as a managerial milestone for Ned Yost, the Houston Astros bounced back and battered the Royals pitching staff for four home runs and silenced the Kansas City bats for the first time all season.
The Royals were put on their heels early and never regained their balance in a 9-0 loss in the rubber match of their three-game series in front of an announced 22,698 at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday night. With the loss, the Royals finished up their six-game road trip at 2-4.
It was the first time since Aug. 7 that the Royals were shut out (5-0 by the Cubs). It snapped a streak of 74 straight games without being shut out, which had been the third-longest active streak in the majors (Yankees 117, Twins 77).
Royals catcher Martin Maldonado, who finished last season as a member of the Astros, and Yost were both ejected in the seventh inning by home plate umpire Brian Knight for arguing balls and strikes.
Yost described the way Royals starter Jorge Lopez (0-4) threw the ball as “flat” on a night when he gave up three home runs in less than three complete innings. But Yost also said he found the strike zone to be inconsistent throughout the game.
While Lopez struggled to consistently to find Knight’s strike zone, which contributed to his shorting outing of the season, Astros starter Brad Peacock struck out a career-high 12 — eight came on called third strikes, including several that replay showed were generous calls on the corners.
“We struck out eight times looking, and our guys know the strike zone,” Yost said. “I don’t mind an inch or two off the plate. Strike three, you can’t recover from it and I’m fine with that. Just do it both ways.”
Maldonado’s strikeout to start the seventh inning matched Peacock’s previous high of 11. It also led the ejections.
“I think that little box on the TV or the video replay doesn’t lie,” Maldonado said. “We had some words early in the game, and I thought he squeezed Lopez a little bit and then squeezed (Jake) Newberry a little bit on a 2-2 pitch to (Max) Stassi that he called a ball that I thought was right on the line. I think it wasn’t the same both ways.”
Maldonado, who’d been behind the plate since the start of the game (including when Lopez pitched), voiced his objection to Knight after he’d been called out on strikes. As Maldonado turned to walk back to the dugout, Knight ejected Maldonado.
“I wasn’t complaining about the last pitch,” Maldonado said. “I was complaining about the pitch before that one. I thought the pitch before was a ball. That’s a pitch they were calling all night for them. That’s a pitch that (Hunter) Dozier struck out two times on it, the bases-loaded strike was on the same pitch. I think it was a ball.
“Their pitcher was good tonight. He was throwing pretty much every pitch in any count. At the same time it’s a little bit easier when you’re given a little bit off the plate.”
Following Maldonado’s ejection, Yost and Knight exchanged words and Yost was soon thereafter ejected for the first time this season.
Lopez’s night ended after 74 pitches in 2 1/3 innings. He gave up six runs on six hits, including three home runs, and three walks.
The scoring started with Astros star outfielder George Springer doing just as he did on Monday night, hitting a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning to give the Astros a 1-0 lead.
“The first hitter, Springer, I left a mistake fastball up and he’s big-league hitter so after that I just kept grinding and kept my ball down,” Lopez said. “There was a couple balls that could’ve been strikes and help me out and set up the other pitches, but that’s why this game is so tough. You’ve got to keep grinding and keep focused on your pitches.”
Springer walked to start the third inning and went first-to-third on Jose Altuve’s single. Alex Bregman’s sacrifice fly in the third inning made it a 2-0 Astros lead with Lopez having allowed just two hits.
The next batter, Michael Brantley, jumped all over a 1-1 changeup down and in from Lopez and sent in screaming to right-center field for a two-run homer. Carlos Correa followed with drive over the center field wall as the Astros put Lopez through one of those seemingly unrelenting and never-ending innings where each miscue got magnified. Even the only out he recorded, the sacrifice fly, brought in a run.
Trailing 7-0, the Royals’ best chance to cut into the deficit came in the fifth inning after they loaded the bases on singles by Terrance Gore and Billy Hamilton and Whit Merrifield was hit by a pitch.
That brought up Adalberto Mondesi, who came into the day tied for the American League lead in RBIs (33). But Mondesi struck out swinging for the second out. Hunter Dozier, the then AL leader in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS, struck out looking to end the inning.
The Astros added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 9-0 lead on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice and a Springer sacrifice fly.
This story was originally published May 8, 2019 at 10:11 PM.
