Royals Report: 5 Things About Salvy Slam Over Cleveland

3) Joakim Soria Nailed Down The Win

First, Joakim Soria escaped a jam in the eighth inning to keep the score 2-1 in the Indians favor. He ended up becoming the pitcher of record when the KC Royals scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-2 lead into the ninth.

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With both Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera unavailable after appearing in three straight games, Soria finished out the ninth.

Soria got the job done to earn the win. His ERA is now back down to 3.28 after blowing a save to trigger the Kansas City Royals eight-game losing streak. He’s earned back the trust of manager Ned Yost to finish games in tough situations.

While hardly surprising, it’s a nice thing to see after the KC Royals signed the 32-year-old Soria to a three-year, $27 million contract before the 2016 season. He doesn’t have the dominating stuff of either Wade Davis or Kelvin Herrera, but he gets the job done with four pitches and outstanding command.

WIth Soria’s resurgence, the back end of the Kansas City Royals bullpen appears as strong as ever with Kelvin Herrera (1.74 ERA) and Wade Davis (1.11 ERA) behind Soria. Luke Hochevar is the fireman.

Next: Alex Gordon