Kansas City Royals pitchers set franchise record during crucial win for playoff push
The Kansas City Royals pitching staff set a franchise record on Wednesday night — during a 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals.
The unit has recorded 26 consecutive scoreless innings. It’s the longest streak in Royals history, outpacing the previous mark held by the 1976 and 2015 teams (24 innings).
On Wednesday, the Royals got it done behind their bullpen. Five relievers helped the Royals shut out the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.
The bullpen picked up veteran starter Michael Lorenzen after he departed with lower body fatigue in the third inning. The Royals turned to relievers Daniel Lynch IV, Angel Zerpa, John Schreiber, Sam Long and closer Lucas Erceg to cover 6 ⅔ innings.
The relievers answered the call. The Nationals were limited to just two hits for the remainder of the game. Washington has not scored in 19 innings during the series.
“Just good pitchers,” Lynch IV said. “When it’s going, you know, from Zerpa to Schreiber to Long to Erceg, I mean that’s pretty nasty guys. I think when guys are going and doing their jobs, it makes it easier. I think we have a lot of really reliable guys that just go and do their jobs, throw strikes and attack guys.”
The Royals have survived with their starting pitching this season. Now, the bullpen is beginning to find a rhythm with the playoffs on the horizon. Players like Lynch, Zerpa, Long and Kris Bubic have settled into key roles.
Lynch has a career-high 18 2/3 scoreless streak since returning from Triple-A Omaha on Aug. 26. Erceg has taken over the reins late in games.
“It’s extremely motivating,” Zerpa said through a translator. “We know we have each other’s backs. … The guy next is coming in to take care of the job.”
The Royals sit at 84-74. The club has a magic number of three games to clinch a postseason berth. Any combination of wins and Minnesota Twins losses will help the Royals clinch a spot in the playoffs.
Despite a seven-game losing streak, the Royals have gotten strong efforts from their pitching staff. Now, with the offense rounding back into form, the Royals have a chance to operate at their peak this postseason.
“They’ve been incredible,” Royals second baseman Michael Massey said. “Obviously as an offense it takes a lot of pressure off, as you know you don’t need to score four or five runs all of the time. … The pitching has been unbelievable this whole year and it’s a big part of our identity as a team.”
The Royals now look to sweep the Nationals on Wednesday afternoon. Right-hander Michael Wacha draws the matinee start as the club hopes to extend the scoreless streak in the series finale.
“That’s remarkable, regardless of time of year or whatever, especially in September,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “They are all running on fumes this time of year, so it’s really good.”
This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 10:04 PM.
