KC Royals fall to Astros in first summer league game

The KC Royals finally played some baseball. Their first game may not have gone as planned, but it was a good chance for players to get back in the groove.

Things are starting to heat up in the world of baseball as opening day is just around the corner. Luckily, fans don’t have to wait too long for baseball as teams have some exhibition games scheduled before the season starts. Last night, the KC Royals met the Houston Astros for a summer camp game.

Unfortunately, the Royals were unable to catch up after the Astros got off to an early lead. It was a good chance for the team to work through some players, though, both veterans and prospects. The starting lineup looked much like it likely will when the season starts.

There were plenty of other players sightings though that may have some fans excited. MJ Melendez saw some time at catcher, Nick Pratto took over as a pinch runner and saw a bit of time at first, and even highly ranked prospect Bobby Witt Jr. got in the game.

As far as pitching goes, Mike Montgomery got the start for the Royals. He managed 3.2 innings, but struggled a bit, giving up 4 hits, walking 2, and recording 1 earned run. To follow him up, Kevin McCarthy, Tyler Zuber, Greg Holland, Heath Fillmyer, and Trevor Rosenthal all got an inning each.

Most saw decent innings, each getting a strikeout, and all going scoreless except Holland who gave up 1 run.

The Astros got up quick, scoring in the first inning, and smashing 2 home runs in the 4th innings to bring the score up to 5-0. The Royals answered in the 4th when Salvador Perez hit a homer to left.

The Astros again scored on a Holland wild pitch in the 7th, taking the score to 6-1. Bubba Starling managed to knock a homer to left in the 8th with Pratto on base, upping the score to 6-3. Unfortunately, nobody was able to keep the comeback going and the Astros took the first game.

The Royals will have another chance at the Astros today, July 21st.

While the Royals may not have been able to keep up with the scoring in their first exhibition game, it was a good chance for players to get a feel for the game again and to get ready for regular season games. These games are valuable to prepare, and exciting when players like Bobby Witt Jr. make an appearance for fans to see.