© © Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Royals Succumb to Tigers 4-1, Drop Weekend Series
Pitcher Michael Wacha falters and the offense stalls as Kansas City fails to clinch a road victory.
On Sunday, the Kansas City Royals eked out only five hits and one run in a 4-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers, culminating in a series defeat and marking the fourth such occasion this season where the Royals have split the first two games of a series only to lose the rubber match.
In the first inning, Maikel Garcia hit a double for the Royals and was promptly brought home by Bobby Witt Jr., giving Kansas City the 1-0 lead. Yet, Tigers starter Tarik Skubal quickly steadied himself, retiring 14 consecutive batters and allowing just four hits over seven innings.
The Royals' lead was short-lived as pitcher Michael Wacha gave it up in the bottom of the first. Mark Canha smacked a double, followed by rookie Wenceel Perez hitting a two-run home run, giving Detroit the 2-1 edge. The Tigers widened their margin in the second inning with Jake Rogers hitting a single and Parker Meadows adding a double. Riley Greene's sacrifice fly then pushed Detroit's lead to 3-1.
Wacha managed to prevent further runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings but relinquished a solo home run to Rogers in the sixth, which ended his outing with Kansas City trailing 4-1.
Wacha completed the game with 5 2/3 innings pitched, yielding nine hits and four runs while striking out three.
Pitcher Will Klein made his MLB debut with a flawless eighth inning, striking out two batters. The rookie right-hander reached 98 mph on the radar gun. Klein ranked as the No. 18 prospect for the Royals according to MLB Pipeline.
Kansas City's bats remained quiet throughout the remainder of the game, and although they managed to keep the Tigers from expanding their lead any further, the early damage proved too substantial to reverse.
With the loss, the Royals' record stands at 17-12, placing them second in the AL Central. They are currently trailing the division-leading Cleveland Guardians, who boast a strong 19-9 record on the season. Looking to rebound from their setback, the Royals are set to hit the road for a challenging three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays beginning tomorrow at 6:07 p.m. CT.
