This Royals reliever was an unsung hero in the I-70 series finale vs. the Cardinals
Matt Quatraro made a swift decision as he called upon left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa from the bullpen.
Zerpa needed to provide length during his outing. Royals starter Cole Ragans was knocked out of the game, allowing five earned runs in three innings.
It was his first start following his return from the 15-day injured list. The Royals had already taxed their bullpen in Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader. Zerpa had a fresh arm and needed to step up.
And that’s what he did.
Zerpa tossed three shutout innings in the Royals’ 7-5 victory in Game 2 over the Cardinals. He allowed one hit and walked a batter while striking out four.
“Always prepared for all the innings I’m going to get,” Zerpa said via a translator. “If it’s a short one, it’s a short one. If it’s a long one, it’s a long one.”
Zerpa came up as a starter in the Royals organization. He has settled into a bullpen role and thrived in recent weeks. Since May 10, Zerpa has allowed one earned run in 12 innings.
He was efficient on Thursday night. He induced 18 swings and six whiffs in his relief appearance. He relied on his sinker and fastball combination to keep the Cardinals guessing.
“I feel comfortable with my secondary pitches and my sinker working,” Zerpa said.
Zerpa recorded his third win of the season. The Royals turned to right-handers Steven Cruz and Carlos Estévez to finish the game.
“Without (Zerpa) and Cruzi, we’re not standing here talking about this win,” Quatraro, the Royals’ manager, said. “Five shutout (innings) from those two guys and then a quick ninth from Carlos. That’s an incredible performance. Zerpa hadn’t gone more than an inning and two-thirds all year. And to do three against that lineup with a bunch of righties in there was very impressive.”
Estévez earned his 100th career save. This season, Estévez has 18 saves, ranking second behind Robert Suarez (19) for most in the majors.
In Game 1, Estévez allowed a walk-off single to Willson Contreras as the Cardinals earned a 6-5 win in extra innings. Quatraro went back to him in Game 2 and it worked well as the Royals won the I-70 series outright.
“I mean, he’s done that before and he’s a pro,” Quatraro said. “He wanted to get back out there as quickly as he could. So thankfully, we had that opportunity.”
