Royals catcher Logan Porter makes MLB debut ... in one of the craziest games of 2023
The Kansas City Royals raced out to a nine-run lead against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.
The Royals fired on all cylinders and chased White Sox starter Touki Toussaint from the game after the first inning. Royals starter Jordan Lyles was in an early rhythm and looked poised for a rare stress-free night.
Well.
In one of the craziest games of the season, the Royals allowed Chicago to tied the score at 9-all, then scored and held on late to preserve an 11-10 win over the White Sox in Game 2 of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“That’s a baseball game right there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
The Royals scored eight runs against Toussaint. KC second baseman Michael Massey delivered the major blow with a three-run homer in the second inning.
Meanwhile, six other Royals recorded RBIs in the game.
Still, the White Sox didn’t go away quietly. In the sixth inning, Chicago sent 11 batters to the plate and produced an eight-run frame. Lyles allowed six consecutive hits as the Royals’ lead evaporated quickly.
Chicago outfielder Gavin Sheets drilled a three-run double and second baseman Lenyn Sosa added a sacrifice fly to tie the score.
“We got to where we wanted to go, but they were better in that moment,” Lyles said. “We will look at the film and see if there is anything that stands out. ... It could be a lot worse without a team win.”
The Royals would recover late. KC added two late runs behind infield duo Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. Both players picked up RBIs to secure the victory.
“This is a hitter’s park and a lot of times there are high-scoring games here,” Quatraro said. “Give our guys credit: When they tied it up there, that’s a really demoralizing inning. For them to bounce right back, score again, take what was given and add on, that’s a lot for them to do.”
The Royals improved to 45-101 and will look for a series victory on Wednesday night.
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Here are more notables from Game 2 of Tuesday’s doubleheader:
Jordan Lyles was perfect … until he wasn’t
The Royals veteran was in an early groove against the White Sox. Lyles retired the first 12 batters to face him in order. He worked all corners of the strike zone and recorded three strikeouts through four innings.
Then, he hit a snag in the fifth inning.
Lyles surrendered a solo home run to Eloy Jiménez to end his bid for a perfect game. He was able to work around the mistake and get out of the frame.
He wasn’t so lucky in the sixth inning.
The White Sox battered Lyles with six runs in the frame. He allowed six consecutive hits before being replaced by reliever Taylor Clarke.
“(It) was good early on, and then we ran into that sixth inning,” Lyles said. “Tough when the guys battle and put so many good at-bats in the first two to three innings. We were doing a pretty good job getting some quick outs with the first handful. Then, just ran into too many consecutive hits.”
Lyles ended his night on a sour note. He allowed seven hits and seven runs across five innings of work.
Logan Porter records first MLB hit
Royals catcher Logan Porter wrote a new chapter in his storybook journey. Porter made his Major League debut against the White Sox in Game 2.
Porter caught all nine innings in the game. He also wasted little time making a sizable contribution in the lineup.
“I don’t think it will hit me until we get back to the hotel and I am talking to (my family),” Porter said. “That was crazy.”
In the first inning, Porter recorded a two-run single as the Royals built a four-run lead. He drove home Massey and outfielder Edward Olivares.
“I just tried to do damage,” Porter said. “I was very comfortable and very confident which was awesome. Get the first one over with right away.”
Porter finished 2-for-4 in the game.
Salvador Perez climbs Royals leaderboard
Royals captain Salvador Perez moved into seventh place on the Royals all-time hits leaderboard.
In the third inning, Perez surpassed Royals Hall of Famer Mike Sweeney with his 1,399th career hit with the organization. Perez drilled an RBI-single off White Sox reliever Luis Patiño as KC’s lead reached 9-0.
Perez also sits one RBI shy of 800 career RBIs. He would be the sixth player in franchise history to reach that mark.
What’s next: The Royals conclude their three-game series against the White Sox on Wednesday night.
This story was originally published September 12, 2023 at 10:22 PM.
