‘Got to be better’: KC Royals rue missed chances after blowing lead vs. Orioles
Taking an early lead and leaning on solid pitching, the Kansas City Royals looked plenty capable of knocking off the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.
Starting pitcher Michael Wacha allowed a reasonable three runs in five innings. Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez hit home runs.
It seemed like a recipe for victory, but instead the Royals were left with the sour taste of defeat. Missed opportunities proved costly in a 6-4 loss that dropped KC’s early-season record to 1-3.
“We had a chance there to bust it open there a little bit, or at least take the lead,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You need to capitalize there.”
The Royals squandered a pivotal chance in the eighth inning. The game was tied at 3 and the heart of the Royals’ order was coming to the plate.
Witt led off the inning with a leadoff single. He later stole second base in front of Vinnie Pasquantino. It was Witt’s first stolen base of the season.
Then Pasquantino singled, too, and was replaced on the base paths by pinch-runner Garrett Hampson. Witt moved to third on Pasquantino’s single and Hampson stole second during Salvador Perez’s at-bat.
But Perez hit a groundout to shortstop for the first out of the inning and Witt was unable to score on the play.
“In that situation, I’ve got to be better,” Perez said. “I have to bring guys home to help my team win.
“I have to. No more excuses. I think that game’s on me. I didn’t do my job. … The game is going to pay you back if you don’t do your job in the right moment.”
With one out now, the Orioles intentionally walked MJ Melendez, loading the bases for veteran slugger and Royals newcomer Hunter Renfroe. But he popped out and Nick Loftin followed with a strikeout.
So the game remained tied. KC had failed to score the go-ahead run.
Three opportunities with runners in scoring position and the Royals came up empty each time.
“I was trying to hit the ball in the air,” Renfroe said. “I did what I wanted to do, I just didn’t quite get the barrel and hit it far enough out there.”
The Orioles took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ryan Mountcastle hit a screaming line drive right at Loftin on first; the ball popped out of Loftin’s glove and a run scored.
The Royals tied the game again in the top of the ninth when Maikel Garcia lofted a sacrifice fly to right field. But the momentum swung a final time when Orioles rookie Jordan Westburg hit a two-run walk-off homer.
The game had paid the Royals back.
“It’s very frustrating,” Loftin said. “I know it’s early in the season, but every win matters and every game matters. But, it’s baseball. We are going to bounce back and we are going to move on.”
The Royals finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position Monday. They stranded seven.
On the bright side, Witt and Perez each homered for the second consecutive game. But that eighth inning represented an opportunity lost — a chance that the Royals let slip from their grasp.
Kansas City will look to even the three-game series Tuesday night. Alec Marsh starts against Cole Irvin. First pitch is set for 5:35 p.m. Central from Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
