Royals’ defense was so good that even a Mariners batter tipped his cap after a play
The Royals put on a show in their 6-4 win at Seattle, and it was mostly while they were in the field.
Sure, catcher Salvador Perez hit a grand slam in the sixth inning that turned a deficit into a lead, but the Royals made two plays that took a run away from the Mariners, along with other web gems.
“That was just one of the best defensive games I’ve ever seen,” Royals manager Mike Matheny told reporters after the game.
“You just don’t see games like that,” Matheny added. “That keeps you in the game for some incredible offense, and just to get to the point where Salvy is there with the bases loaded.”
Here are five of the best plays from the game, including one that impressed a Mariners batter.
1. Perfect relay
Royals starter Brad Keller had a long first inning but only allowed a single run. A big reason Seattle didn’t score more was this relay from center fielder Michael A. Taylor to shortstop Nicky Lopez to Perez to get Mitch Haniger at the plate.
2. Rivera’s grab
In the third inning, the Mariners’ Kyle Seager popped a ball into short left field and Royals third baseman Emmanuel Rivera made a dazzling catch:
3. Taylor tracks it down
Taylor robbed Seattle’s Abraham Toro of extra bases with this dazzling catch. The Mariners had two hits in the inning and likely would have scored a run had Taylor not gotten to this ball that was hit 104.3 mph.
4. Benny’s jets
Haniger hit a shot in the fifth inning that looked like it could be at least a double, but Royals left fielder Andrew Benintendi made a great catch on the run.
5. Home run denied
The Mariners trailed by two in the eighth inning when Benintendi robbed Jarred Kelenic of a home run that would have made it a one-run game. It was such a great catch that Kelenic tipped his cap to Benintendi.
That is a week’s worth of incredible defensive plays that were made in Thursday’s game.
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 11:26 AM.
