Royals’ skid hits five games with loss in extra innings to the Cardinals
The Kansas City Royals were back in a familiar spot on Friday night. And once again, the Royals had a close game end the wrong way.
The Royals fell 5-4 in 11 innings to the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Both teams battled until the final out, but it was the Cardinals who pulled out the Interstate 70 series opener.
St. Louis got the run the Royals couldn’t in what turned out to be the final inning.
The Royals had two runners aboard with no outs in the 11th inning. However, the club came up empty as Michael Massey, Kyle Isbel and Maikel Garcia were retired in succession.
The Cardinals (26-18) took advantage of their opportunity. Pinch-hitter Yohel Pozo hit a walk-off, RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning.
KC dropped to 19-26 and have now lost five consecutive games. They finished 3 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base in the loss.
Here’s how Friday’s game played out:
Michael Wacha spins quality start
The Royals turned to longtime veteran Michael Wacha on Friday night against the Cardinals.
The club needed their stopper.
Wacha, who spent seven seasons with the Cardinals, returned to his old stomping grounds looking like an All-Star pitcher. He entered with a 2.63 ERA across eight appearances and was coming off two consecutive quality starts.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro expressed confidence in Wacha pregame. The Royals entered on a four-game losing streak and had just been swept by the Chicago White Sox.
Wacha turned in another quality start Friday. He surrendered three runs on five hits while recording five strikeouts.
The Cardinals tagged him early with two home runs. St. Louis star Jordan Walker hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning — his 13th of the season — to erase a two-run deficit. And later, Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages hit a solo blast to straightaway center field as well.
However, Wacha worked around the damage. He earned a no-decision despite giving the Royals a chance to come through late.
The Royals scratched across a few runs in the middle innings. Left fielder Isaac Collins drove home two runs in key bases-loaded situations. He recorded a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and followed with an RBI groundout in the sixth.
Each team turned to their bullpen late. Royals relievers Daniel Lynch IV and Nick Mears worked around traffic on the basepaths. And, they were aided by some quality defensive plays.
Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia started a 5-3 double play to help Mears escape an eighth-inning jam unscathed.
Meanwhile, Kyle Isbel made a diving grab to send the game to extra innings. He robbed Ivan Herrera of a potential game-winning hit in center field in the bottom of the ninth.
Extra, Extra
Both teams battled in extra innings. In the top of the 10th, Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. hit a go-ahead, RBI double that gave the Royals a 4-3 advantage.
However, the Cardinals responded in the bottom half. Alec Burleson hit an RBI single off Royals closer Lucas Erceg to tie the game again.
And St. Louis got the final tally. After the Royals failed to cash in the 11th inning, the Cardinals won the game in walk-off fashion at home.
What’s next: Royals left-hander Noah Cameron (2-2, 5.55 ERA) will start Saturday’s afternoon game against the Cardinals. St. Louis will send right-hander Kyle Leahy (4-3, 4.31 ERA) to the mound with first pitch set for 1:15 p.m. Central Time.
