KC Royals leave 10 on base in 1-run loss to Arizona. Here were the missed chances
The Kansas City Royals did what they’ve done for much of the season at Chase Field on Monday night.
Trailing for most of the game, the Royals gave their fan base a glimpse of hope, tying the score at 4-all on a Kyle Isbel single in the eighth. But just as quickly as hope appeared, it vanished.
The Royals suffered another heartbreaking loss, this time a 5-4 defeat against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Monday’s series opener.
“There were tons of positives, but (it’s) just a frustrating way for it to end,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro.
In a 4-4 game in the bottom of the eighth, Arizona’s Gabriel Moreno singled off Royals reliever Aroldis Chapman to move Christian Walker to third. Then, shortstop Nick Ahmed hit the ball toward Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who rushed an off-target throw home. That brought in the game-winning run, which was charged to Chapman.
“Not much you can say,” Chapman said, as translated by assistant strength coach Luis Perez. “It’s just weak contact and they got a run out of it.”
Before that, the Royals had plenty of opportunities to take control.
Facing Tommy Henry, who was making his 2023 rotation debut, the Royals scored three runs in the first five innings. But KC went 3 for 10 with runners in scoring position on the day, stranding 10 on base, including a pair in the first inning after a solo home run by Edward Olivares.
On the other side, Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller struggled with his control. He exited after four innings, having surrendered four earned runs and walking six. He was already at 95 pitches at that point in the game.
Keller walked the leadoff man in each of the first three innings.
“All walks are frustrating,” Keller said. “It’s one thing that has really ate at me the last couple of starts. I feel like when I’m in the zone good results happen, but I’ve just been digging myself with all these walks and its just frustrating. (I’ll) look (into) it these next four days and really try to focus in on what’s going on and fix it.”
After Olivares’ home run, his second of the year, Arizona answered with two runs in the second inning. Arizona added two more in the third, with the final run coming in the eighth.
Salvador Perez drove in two runs for KC, and Isbel, pinch hitting, drove in another. But KC left two on in the eighth and a runner on second in the ninth as the club fell to 5-18 on the year.
Quatraro shows displeasure late
In the bottom of the eighth inning Quatraro couldn’t hide his frustration and left the dugout to speak with an umpire.
Why? He disagreed with a call.
“A ball got called on Chapman and I did not agree with that,” Quatraro said.
The umpires’ reasoning?
“That he (Chapman) got set before the hitter was engaged,” Quatraro said. “You’re not supposed to come set as the pitcher before the hitter is looking at you. There’s a lot of subjectivity to that.”
Perez converts in key moments
In a game where the Royals struggled to drive in runs, Perez certainly did his part.
Perez went 2 for 4, as one of three Royals (Michael Massey, 2 for 4; Pasquantino, 3 for 4) with multiple hits.
After walking on his first trip to the plate, Perez hit an RBI-single that drove in Pasquantino from second. In his next at-bat he found a gap between left and center that turned into a double. In the process, Olivares scored and Pasquantino went to third.
Up next
The Royals continue a three-game series against the Diamondbacks at 8:40 p.m. Central on Tuesday. Brady Singer will face Arizona’s Ryne Nelson.
The finale between the two teams will be at 2:40 p.m. Central on Wednesday.
This story was originally published April 25, 2023 at 12:01 AM.
