After Royals infielder Nick Loftin pitched, he was ready to show umps he didn’t cheat
A game like the Royals’ 11-8 loss to the Padres on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium hadn’t been seen in Major League Baseball in nearly a century.
And that had nothing to do with who pitched the ninth inning for the Royals.
Infielder Nick Loftin made his Major League Baseball pitching debut, allowing one hit in a scoreless frame.
Loftin threw the slowest pitch of the day in the majors when his 44.2 mph curveball to Jackson Merrill floated outside the zone. It was the only curve he threw, according to Statcast.
Loftin threw eight pitches, five for strikes, and would have been in line for the victory if the Royals’ rally hadn’t come up short. Nelson Velázquez missed a potential game-tying home run by about 5 feet.
After “shutting down” the Padres, Loftin walked off the mound, fully prepared for the umpires to check for any foreign substance he might have on his hands. Humorously, the umps showed no interest.
I guess that’s to be expected because Loftin, who threw seven sliders and that curve, topped out with a 64.6 mph pitch.
