Kansas City Royals Offense Comes to Life in 8-2 Victory

The focus tonight was on Danny Duffy, making his first start since being placed on the disabled list with shoulder issues. However, the Kansas City Royals frenzied offensive attack stole the show, upstaging Duffy for the 8-2 victory.

Duffy was shaky in the early going, throwing quite a few pitches over the first three innings. Meanwhile, his counterpart, Roenis Elias, was perfect through three, making quick work of the Royals. It seemed destined to be that type of a night, where the Royals found themselves shut down by some middling starter.

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Then, the frenzied offense awoke. Alcides Escobar singled to lead off the fourth, and then the wheels came off for Elias. Mike Moustakas hammered a home run to right to give the Royals a 2-0 lead. With two outs and a runner on first, that two out magic came through once again. A walk and a hit batter loaded the bases, and Omar Infante delivered a bases clearing double. Jarrod Dyson and Escobar followed with RBI doubles, and the Royals held a 7-0 lead midway through the fourth.

Seattle finally broke through against Duffy in the fifth. With one out, the Mariners put runners on the corners, and Franklin Guiterrez plated Seattle’s first run with a sacrifice fly. After Robinson Cano singled to put runners on the corners again, Ryan Madson came in to relieve Duffy. A sharp ground ball to short that took a rather unfortunate hop on Escobar led to a second run, but Madson was able to escape further damage.

The Royals added another run in the seventh. Escobar led off with a base hit, and moved to third on a ground out and a fly ball to shallow center. Eric Hosmer followed with a single to shallow left, plating Escobar to give the Royals an 8-2 lead.

That would prove to be the final margin, as the Kansas City Royals took the rubber match of their series. Madson picked up the win, pitching 1.1 innings without allowing a hit or a walk. Duffy was solid, allowing two runs, one earned, on eight hits in 4.2 innings, striking out four while throwing 88 pitches.

Escobar and Infante each had three hits in the victory.

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