Royals Report: KC Snags Sixth Straight Series With 5-2 Win

The Royals bounced back to beat Miami 5-2 Thursday after the Marlins snapped Kansas City’s 9 game winning streak on Wednesday. Defeating the Marlins gave the KC Royals their sixth straight series win.

The Kansas City Royals improved to 66-61 by winning 5-2 on Wednesday. They gained a game to pull within 6.5 games of AL Central leading Cleveland. Kansas City closed to 4.0 games behind the Orioles for the second AL wild card. Miami fell to 66-62 and remain second place in the NL East.

The KC Royals continued their winning ways by taking two of three games in Miami despite scoring only five runs in the entire series. Of course, they only gave up five runs as well.

The bullpen extended their team record scoreless streak to 38.1 innings pitched.

Kansas City scored their first run on Salvador Perez‘s two-out double with Cheslor Cuthbert on second base to put KC up 1-0. Alcides Escobar then opened the fourth inning with a solo shot to put Kansas City up 2-0.

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However, the KC Royals gave back both runs on a throwing error by Cuthbert after he made a diving stop with runners on second and third. Both runs scored to tie the game at 2-2.

Edinson Volquez lasted 5.0 innings while allowing only 3 hits, 1 walks, and 0 earned runs with 2 strikeouts. However, Volquez wasn’t really dominant. Instead, he benefited from some great defense—especially in the first inning.

Raul Mondesi Jr. made a great play to spear a hard hit ball up the middle and turned to make a throw against his momentum to retire the Marlins leadoff hitter.  The Jarrod Dyson made the defensive play of the season to rob Chris Yelich of a home run. Dyson made a leaping play at the wall after a dead run to catch a hard-hit liner. As a result, KC’s defense saved two runs in the first.

Royals Seize The Game

The KC Royals took the lead when Alex Gordon beat out an infield hit and advanced to second on a throwing error. Escobar followed with a double to score Gordon and put KC up 3-2. He advanced to third on a passed ball. Escobar scored on Kendrys Morales sacrifice fly to deep center for the 4-2 final tally.

Chris Young, Matt Strahm, Joakim Soria, and Kelvin Herrera combined for 4.0 innings of scoreless relief. Herrera notched his ninth save of the season.

Raul Mondesi Jr. scratched out a fifth run with a walk in the top of the ninth, two stolen bases, and a throwing error on Marlins catcher JT Realmundo.

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It was good to see Kansas City immediately respond to their loss on Wednesday with a win the next day. Hopefully, their momentum will help carry them to another series win in Boston against a tough Red Sox team.