One Kyle Zimmer pitch and one Ryan O’Hearn swing help Kansas City Royals beat Brewers
As an American League team playing by National League rules Tuesday, the Royals used a hybrid approach to great success in a 5-2 win over the Brewers in Milwaukee.
The Royals played small ball but also hit two mammoth home runs, rallying for just their second victory in their last eight games. The win also snapped the Royals’ 12-game road losing streak.
“I think that guys are still out there playing with 100% effort, no matter what the standings say, no matter what the wins and losses say,” said starting pitcher Mike Minor, who gave up two runs (one earned) in six innings. “There’s a bunch of guys in the clubhouse they don’t really care (about the team’s 38-55 record).
“We know that we haven’t played well. But guys aren’t just going to give up. ... We’re still gonna try to get as many wins as we can. Even though sometimes it probably doesn’t look like it, but guys are trying.”
After falling behind early, right fielder Jorge Soler hit his eighth home run of the season, matching his total from a year ago, to tie the game 2-2 in the fourth inning. The ball traveled 430 feet over the center-field wall at American Family Field.
Minor, who carried a 5.74 ERA in road games this season, kept the Brewers at bay after Soler’s blast.
It was 2-2 in the seventh inning when Royals center fielder Michael A. Taylor singled and took second on a long fly to left by shortstop Nicky Lopez. Minor’s spot in the order was up, and although he had thrown just 78 pitches, manager Mike Matheny called on Ryan O’Hearn to pinch hit.
That’s the kind of move that needs to be made in National League games.
That decision proved wise as O’Hearn cranked a 2-1 pitch from Hunter Strickland to straightaway center field just below the scoreboard. It traveled an estimated 431 feet.
Royals pinch-hitters had batted just .200 (7 for 35) this season with a double and a triple. But O’Hearn came through this time.
“It’s a great place to hit. In BP (batting practice) the ball was flying around,” O’Hearn said. “As soon as I hit it, I thought there was a pretty good chance that ball was gone. We’re not playing at Kauffman (Stadium). It was a great AB, a great day. One swing and your day’s over. I’ll take that.”
Milwaukee attempted to answer, collecting three doink singles, all with an exit velocity below 81 mph, to load the bases with one out against Royals reliever Jake Brentz in the bottom of the seventh.
Kyle Zimmer was summoned and needed just one pitch to put out the fire. The Brewers’ Willy Adames grounded to Lopez, who started a 6-4-3 double play.
When he took the mound, Zimmer told himself to breathe and execute good pitches.
“Luckily,” he said, “it happened in one pitch.”
In the eighth inning, catcher Salvador Perez doubled and moved to third after a pair of walks. Taylor’s sacrifice fly brought home Perez to make it 5-2.
The Royals also used small ball for the game’s first run in the opening inning. After a pair of singles, a one-out sacrifice fly by Andrew Benintendi scored second baseman Whit Merrifield, who played in his 400th consecutive game.
The game was moved up several hours because of the NBA Finals Game 6 taking place in Milwaukee, between the Bucks and Phoenix Suns, later Tuesday night.
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 6:37 PM.
