Kris Bubic unable to replicate last outing, as Braves take Game 2 vs. Royals: recap
Braves fans also celebrate with the “chop” chant, as the Royals were reminded on several occasions on Saturday.
Atlanta took its second straight victory in the series by a score of 9-3, knocking around starter Kris Bubic a week after Bubic had been dazzling.
Not on Saturday. Bubic surrendered five runs on 10 hits as the Braves made solid contact throughout his five innings. And out came the chop from their faithful, sounding much like Chiefs fans across the Truman Sports Complex.
A week ago Bubic pitched six shutout innings against the San Francisco Giants while striking out nine. The Royals lost that game in the late innings. This one started to separate with the Braves’ three-run third with Ozzie Albies picking up a pair of RBIs with a single.
“Stuff wasn’t very sharp,” said Bubic, who fell to 0-2. “I felt like I couldn’t execute pitches when I got ahead and obviously gave up some harder contact today. I didn’t have a great feel of putting away any guy with any pitch as I have the previous outings.”
Bubic, who struck out three and walked one, also lost his streak of not surrendering a home run with Sean Murphy’s solo shot in the fifth. That ended a run of 27 1/3 homer-less innings dating to last season. Murphy wrecked the Royals with pair of doubles and four RBIs.
The game was delayed 2 hours, 35 minutes by rain and the game time temperature was 46 degrees. Bubic said that may have contributed to some forearm tightness “fairly early today, but we’ll take a look at it (Sunday) and go from there,” he said.
Relievers Ryan Yarbrough and Carlos Hernandez each walked in a run in the the Braves’ four-run eighth that broke open the game.
The NL East-leading Braves — only the Tampa Bay Rays have a better record in baseball than Atlanta’s 11-4 — have piled up 19 runs and 25 hits, 11 for extra bases including six home runs, in the two games.
“Teams like this, you have to almost make perfect pitches,” catch Salvador Perez said.
Missed the start of the series?
Royals struggle with runners in scoring position (RISP)
The Royals collected 11 hits, three for Bobby Witt Jr. and two each for Perez and Hunter Dozier. Witt has three hits in each of his last three games and 11 in his last four.
Perez’s double scored Witt in the first and Witt came home on a Kyle Isbel double in the fifth.
But the Royals couldn’t break their habit of not hitting with runners in scoring position. They went 1 for 13 in those situations on Saturday, dropping to .187 on the year, with Isbel’s double serving as the lone clutch hit.
“We just didn’t break through enough to put up a crooked number,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
The Royals fell to 4-11 and have struggled at Kauffman Stadium where they’re 1-8 on the season, matching the worst home start since 2018.
Late start due to weather delay
The start of the game was delayed 2 hours, 35 minutes because of two rain showers. At one point pea-sized hail was falling on the tarp. Temperature at game time was 46 degrees.
Up next: The Royals will conclude their series against the Braves on Sunday with a 1:10 p.m. start time. Zack Greinke will be on the mound for KC, who will remain home to face the Texas Rangers for three games after Sunday’s finale.
This story was originally published April 15, 2023 at 8:49 PM.