Kansas City Royals squander 3-0 lead in 7th, slip closer to club record for futility
Kansas City Royals starter Cole Ragans found an early rhythm in his final start of the 2023 season.
Ragans was in cruise control for five scoreless innings. He protected a three-run lead and was efficiently navigating the Detroit Tigers’ lineup.
But that early momentum derailed in the seventh inning. The Tigers scored seven runs en route to a 7-3 victory at Comerica Park.
“We need to do a better job at expanding the lead in the middle innings and kind of put the game a little bit more out of reach,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
At 54-105 and with only a three-game homestand against the New York Yankees remaining, the Royals are one loss from tying the worst record in club history (56-106 in 2005). They begin the weekend series against the Yankees on Friday at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals, who lost the conclusion of Wednesday’s rain-halted game earlier Thursday, were swept for the 14th time this season. They went 3-10 against the Tigers in the season series.
Detroit sent 12 batters to the plate in the seventh. Ragans loaded the bases on two walks and a single, setting the stage for Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows to deliver an RBI single.
“The fastball to Meadows was supposed to be away. I left it up and in, and he hit it,” Ragans said.
The Royals took Ragans out of the game after Meadows’ at-bat. Reliever Carlos Hernandez took the mound with a chance to protect the lead.
Instead, Hernandez failed to get the Royals out of the jam. He allowed a two-run single to Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling and a three-run homer to Spencer Torkelson. Andy Ibanez also recorded an RBI single.
Ragans (7-5) took the loss. He was charged with four earned runs. Hernandez surrendered three runs in his 1/3 of an inning.
“Seven straight guys reached base between the two of them,” Quatraro said. “That’s really hard to do regardless of who is on the mound. So, credit to them.”
Meanwhile, the Royals’ offense was quiet after the third inning, when second baseman Michael Massey hit a two-run homer. KC had chances, such as having runner’s in scoring position with no outs, but didn’t cash in the opportunity.
The Royals ended their final road trip 3-3 after having swept the Houston Astros last weekend.
“It’s super frustrating,” Massey said. “We obviously had some good momentum before Houston. ... We just didn’t play well. Not a whole lot of areas we can point too. I just feel like we didn’t execute in pretty much every area.”
Missed previous games of the series?
Game 1: Royals squander early lead in 6-3 loss to Tigers
Game 2: Royals fall 8-0 against Tigers in Wednesday’s makeup game
Here are more notables from Thursday’s game:
Michael Massey belts 15th home run
The Royals did their damage early against Tigers starter Sawyer Gipson-Long. In the third inning, Massey drilled a 82.2 mph slider over the right-field wall.
The blast traveled 400 feet, registered a 104.8 mph exit velocity and gave the Royals a 3-0 lead.
Gipson-Long earned a no-decision after allowing three runs (two) earned and striking out six batters.
Massey has hit 15 home runs this season. He ranks third behind Frank White (22 in 1985-86) and Whit Merrifield (17 in 2017) for most homers in a season by a Royals second baseman.
“Just seeing little tweaks here and there,” Massey said of working with the Royals hitting coaches. “One of the big ones is hitting into my front leg a little more. My front foot is kind of been flying open, which I feel like Ieak and get that soft ground ball at first.”
Massey has five home runs in September. Until Thursday, Massey’s most recent homer came Sept. 15 against the Houston Astros.
“If I can stay closed a click longer, it helps me kind of lengthen out my barrel and stay in the zone a little better,” Massey said.
Final Stand: KC records at stake against New York Yankees
The Royals have a pair of historic records in play this weekend.
KC can avoid tying the franchise record for most losses in a season. The Royals need to sweep their three-game series against the New York Yankees to avoid a franchise-worst 106 losses, which was set in 2005.
If the Royals lose at least one game, they will tie the franchise record. Two losses would set a new low-water mark.
Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is also chasing history. He is one home run shy of becoming the 45th MLB player to record a 30-30 season.
Witt is also one steal shy of 50 stolen bases.
If he can get both the home run and stolen base over the next three games, he will be the fourth player in major-league history to record a 30-50 season.
What’s next: The Royals will begin their final regular-season series against the Yankees at Kauffman Stadium on Friday.
This story was originally published September 28, 2023 at 4:59 PM.
