Kansas City Royals had success against Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout. Where was the offense?
Kansas City Royals starter Brady Singer had the unenviable task of facing the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
The Angels had won eight of their last 10 games. The lineup was stacked with MVPs Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout both available. Singer, who had allowed four runs in his last start against the Baltimore Orioles, was looking for a rebound effort.
On Friday, Singer tamed the Angels at Kauffman Stadium. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs. He issued two walks and struck out five batters.
“The command was much better tonight,” Singer said. “I was able to steer the sinker around to both sides of the plate. I was able to kind of attack hitters more. I threw some good changeups and the slider was working as well tonight.”
However, the Royals failed to generate enough — or any — run support. As a result, KC dropped its 10th consecutive game in a 3-0 loss. The Royals are paced for one of the worst regular-season records in MLB history.
Kansas City is batting .145 (10 for 69) with runners in scoring position and has stranded 65 runners (6.5 per game) during the 10-game skid. KC went 0 for 5 with RISP on Friday.
The Royals did collect four hits and left seven men on base. KC had its chances against Angels starter Patrick Sandoval but failed to cash in.
In the first inning, Nick Pratto and Bobby Witt Jr. collected two singles and forced Sandoval to work from the stretch. However, Sandoval was able to work around potential danger. He induced Edward Olivares to hit into a double play. Later, MJ Melendez struck out to end the frame.
The same situation occurred in the third inning. This time, Witt and Olivares got aboard with two outs. Melendez grounded out to extinguish the threat.
“Patrick Sandoval, he is a really quality major league pitcher,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We didn’t have a whole lot of opportunities.”
The Angels added runs in the sixth and seventh. Brandon Drury added an important insurance run with an RBI double. Los Angeles collected nine hits on the night and cruised to its 40th victory of the season. The Royals are 18-51.
Here are key moments from today’s game...
Brady Bunch: Singer finds right tune against Angels
Brady Singer admitted he didn’t have control of his sinker against the Baltimore Orioles last week. It caused him to be ineffective in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Singer regained his form against the Angels. He threw 49 sinkers and 37 sliders on Friday night and it helped keep the Angels off balance. The sinker averaged 92.7 mph and generated 21 swings.
The slider was also effective.
It generated eight whiffs, as the Angels chased the pitch all night. In the first inning, Singer used the slider to strike out Angels outfielder Mickey Moniak. He later got Mike Trout swinging with a 84.6 mph slider in the third.
“I’ve had good feel for it the last two outings,” Singer said. “It’s been working well for me. I’ve been able to throw it to both sides of the plate.”
Singer dropped to 2-4 in nine home starts this season.
Royals found no answers for Patrick Sandoval
The Royals couldn’t figure out Patrick Sandoval on Friday night.
The Angels starter navigated the Royals lineup with ease. He pitched seven innings and struck out six batters en route to his fourth victory.
Sandoval finished his start emphatically. In the seventh inning, he struck out the side by getting Drew Waters, recent call-up and speedster Dairon Blanco and Nick Pratto in order. Sandoval threw the kitchen sink at the Royals by utilizing six pitches regularly.
“(Sandoval) is tough all the time,” Quatraro said. “He has a really good changeup. ... He does not give in.”
He ran into early trouble, but the Angels defense picked him up. Sandoval induced two key double plays to avert disaster in his start. He also forced a lot of weak contact that helped him record easy outs.
“We are just looking for solutions,” Pratto said. “Guys are working hard, and that’s all you can ask for in a space like this. We know eventually it will translate onto the field. It’s just tough right now to see the results aren’t coming.”
What’s next: The Royals continue their weekend series against the Angels. Mike Mayers will start Saturday’s game and face Griffin Canning. Zack Greinke will close the series against Tyler Anderson on Sunday.
This story was originally published June 16, 2023 at 10:00 PM.
