Kansas City Royals’ offensive woes continue in Saturday’s loss to Colorado Rockies
The Kansas City Royals came to Coors Field looking to begin their final road trip before the 2024 MLB All-Star Break on a high note.
Instead, the Royals are staring down a potential sweep as the Rockies picked up a 3-1 victory and series win at home.
KC struggled to produce any significant offense on Saturday night. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino hit a solo home run in the sixth inning. However, the Royals were unable to cash in with any additional scoring chances.
“We’ve got to go out there and punch first,” Royals outfielder Hunter Renfroe said. “Get back in the dugout when the pitcher gives us a chance and get on the bases, steal and do what we do. It’s a little bit frustrating.”
A lot of credit goes to Rockies starter Austin Gomber. The veteran southpaw allowed one run in seven innings. He earned his second win as the Rockies improved to 32-57.
“I think he located really well,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I mean, it looked like he used both sides of the plate. Look, you know, oversimplification but I think when we looked hard, he threw soft and vice versa.”
Even so, the Royals had opportunities to score. In the fourth inning, KC had two runners in scoring position with outfielder MJ Melendez at the plate. Gomber struck out Melendez on four pitches.
Later, the Royals had a runner advance to third base in the seventh. Still, the offense remained stagnant as second baseman Garrett Hampson and outfielder Kyle Isbel were retired to end the threat.
The Royals finished 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. They also left seven runners on base.
In the eighth inning, Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. was picked off in-between first and second base. KC manufactured one last chance in the ninth inning, but pinch hitter Michael Massey grounded out to end the game.
“He was reading the dirt ball,” Quatraro said of Witt’s baserunning. “I mean, that wasn’t a steal. (Elias) Diaz made a great pick, and he is a good catcher and executed the run down well. He did exactly what he was supposed to do.”
KC dropped to 48-43.
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Here are more notables from Saturday’s game:
Seth Lugo registers 15th quality start
Seth Lugo gave the Royals a chance against the Rockies. Despite a lack of run support, Lugo was able to power through six innings.
He limited the Rockies to three runs (two earned). Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle tagged him with a two-run homer early, but Lugo was able to rebound.
“I felt like I had to battle out there,” Lugo said. “You know, a few things mechanically were off. I feel like I made some good pitches and made a few mistakes.”
In the fourth inning, Lugo worked around a leadoff double, followed by a walk. He forced Rockies outfielder Jack Cave to ground into a double play. Next, Lugo induced a ground ball to escape without any further damage.
“Defense played great behind me and kept the team in the game,” Lugo said. “Had a chance the whole way and that is a positive I can take away from that.”
Lugo finished with five strikeouts. He threw 101 pitches and garnered 15 whiffs, per Baseball Savant.
Vinnie Pasquantino sets new career mark
As the Royals’ offensive struggles continued, Pasquantino provided the lone bright spot.
Pasquantino set a new career benchmark with his 11th home run. He drilled an 85.5 mph slider over into the Royals bullpen. The homer helped KC cut into a three-run deficit in the sixth inning on Saturday.
This season, Pasquantino has settled into a run-producing role. He leads the Royals with 59 RBIs, which ranks sixth in the American League. Additionally, Pasquantino has at least one RBI in 10 of his last 12 games.
Pasquantino hit 10 home runs during the 2022 campaign. He has now eclipsed the mark in his 87th game this season.
Defensively, Pasquantino defended teammate Maikel Garcia after Garcia was charged with an error. In the second inning, Garcia attempted to bounce the baseball to Pasquantino due to the incoming sunset over the field.
The next at-bat was a two-run home run.
“It was a perfect throw,” Pasquantino said. “... That should be an absolute error on me. And if you look at the moment in that game, that changed everything. ... It doesn’t change it now, but like I’ve got to catch that ball. He did everything he could.”
What’s next on the KC Royals’ schedule?
The Royals conclude their three-game series against the Rockies. On Sunday, KC will send veteran right-hander Brady Singer to the mound.
Singer is set to make his 18th start of the 2024 season. He is 4-5 with a 3.05 ERA and is coming off a solid start against the Tampa Bay Rays. Singer allowed one run across five innings in a losing effort.
The Rockies will start Tanner Gordon in the series finale. He is scheduled to make his MLB debut at Coors Field.
This story was originally published July 6, 2024 at 10:30 PM.
