KC Royals extend winning streak ahead of road series against Yankees in New York
The Kansas City Royals ended their six-game homestand in celebratory fashion Sunday afternoon.
The Royals swept the Minnesota Twins after earning a 2-0 afternoon victory at Kauffman Stadium. They also extended their winning streak to four games.
Sunday’s victory was important in several ways. First, it gives the Royals some momentum heading into a pivotal three-game road series against the New York Yankees on Monday. At 79-65, the Royals are 2 1/2 games ahead of the Twins for the second spot in the American League Wild Card race.
“Continue to play hard and try to win as many games as we can,” Royals captain Salvador Perez said of the team’s mindset. “And, make it to the playoffs. That’s the goal and I’m always going to say that.”
The Royals showed their ability to rebound. After a rough seven-game losing streak, they closed out their homestand with four wins, each coming in a different way.
On Sunday, the Royals scored two runs in the fifth inning. Outfielder Garrett Hampson hit a sacrifice fly as KC took a 1-0 lead. Later, Perez legged out an RBI single that went about 80 feet down the third-base line.
“(Twins starting pitcher Simeon Woods-Richardson) was throwing a lot of off-speed today,” Hampson said. “I was just trying to get something up where I can put the barrel on it and score a run. So I put a good swing out there. It was good to have a quality at-bat there.”
Those runs helped Royals starter Michael Wacha. He neutralized the Twins across seven scoreless innings. He scattered four hits and struck out seven en route to his 12th win of the season.
It was also his 100th career victory. Wacha is the 20th active pitcher to reach the milestone.
“Definitely a cool number for sure,” Wacha said. “It was something on my goal list, coming into the season, to get to that.”
The Royals’ bullpen was also dynamic. Relievers Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg didn’t allow a run and shut the door late. The Twins managed just five hits and stranded eight runners.
Woods-Richardson took the loss. He allowed two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Minnesota dropped to 76-67, while the Royals created distance in both the divisional and wild card races.
“You can’t ask for a better series wins-and-loss wise,” Quatraro said. “I think we gave up two runs in three days. That’s why we’re in the spot we’re in. That’s what these guys have done for us all year.”
Missed previous games of the series?
Game 1: Cole Ragans eclipses 200 strikeouts as Royals shutout Twins
Game 2: Royals register late comeback in 4-2 win over Twins
Here are more notable aspects of Sunday’s game:
Royals produce another defensive highlight
The Twins had a chance to take an early lead in the first inning. Jose Miranda got aboard with a one-out single after lacing a 94.4 mph sinker into right field.
That single was the first hit of the game. Next, Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach hit a double that rolled to the right-field wall. Miranda hustled around the bases and attempted to score from first base.
However, the Royals strung together another impressive relay. Royals outfielder Hunter Renfroe corralled the baseball and threw a strike to second baseman Maikel Garcia.
Garcia set his feet and fired toward home plate. The baseball beat Miranda as he slid into Royals catcher Freddy Fermin.
Fermin applied the tag and the Twins were turned away. It was the second successful relay of the series after the Royals turned the same trick on Friday night.
“We practiced that and it was pretty good,” Perez said. “Renfroe was aggressive to get the ball and Maikel made a good throw and Fermin put the tag. It was good to hold it right there. After that, Wacha did his job.”
AL playoff implications
The Royals climbed up the AL Central standings with Sunday’s win.
KC trails the Guardians by three games for first place in the divisional race. The Guardians finished a road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Royals also solidified their place in the AL Wild Card standings. KC is 5 1/2 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners, who are currently outside the playoff picture. Seattle defeated the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Sunday.
Other teams in the wild-card mix include the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.
What’s next on the KC Royals’ schedule:
The Royals begin a six-game road trip on Monday. KC will open a midweek series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
Royals right-handed pitcher Brady Singer will start in the series opener. Singer is 3-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 13 road outings this season. He allowed seven runs (six earned) against the Yankees on June 11.
The Yankees will start left-hander Carlos Rodon. In his last outing, Rodon struck out 11 batters against the Texas Rangers.
This story was originally published September 8, 2024 at 3:28 PM.
