Royals Struggle Against the Indians

The Royals found themselves struggling once again to produce runs Friday night against Cleveland. This was the cause for their dropping the first of a three game set.

Cleveland scored in the second when Zach Walters hit a two-out double that scored Jason Kipnis who’d singled earlier in the inning. They came right back with three more runs in the third inning after hitting a bevy of singles. Tyler Holt led off with a single and, after a Michael Bourn strikeout, Jose Ramirez singled and then stole second before Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana singled as well. When the dust cleared, the Indians were winning 4-0.

More from KC Royals News

• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Day 3 update
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Day 2 update
• Winter Meetings: Any blockbusters for the KC Royals?
• Grading the 2022 KC Royals: The versatile Nate Eaton
• KC Royals: Club appears ready to hire pitching assistant

This score carried through until the top of the ninth when Carlos Santana (or as I like to call him: the robot from the future sent to destroy us) hit a two-run home run to make the score 6-0. Santana has twenty-two home runs this season. Six of those have come at Kauffman.

1/3 of his home runs have come against the Royals.

1/3 of his home runs.

The Royals finally scored in the 9th as Christian Colon and Nori Aoki both hit singles before Alcides Escobar hit a single to left for his fourth hit of the night which scored Colon and made the score 6-1. That was it, however, as Alex Gordon struck out and Billy Butler grounded out to finish the game.

Jason Vargas took the loss and went six innings giving up four runs on ten hits. He had five strikeouts and zero walks. Francisley Bueno was the one who gave up the two-run shot to Santana in the top of the ninth.

The Royals try to even up the series 1-1 tomorrow evening.