Oh well, get ’em tomorrow.
If you’ve watched many Royals games in 2025, you probably didn’t feel the need to give this game any further consideration after the top of the third inning. For most of the season, the Royals have signaled early whether the offense was going to show up in a given game. You might argue that they mostly don’t show up, and you’d be right, but again, there is a signal for those rare occasions that they will. All too often, the Royals have combined poor play with awful luck
So I’ve come up with the first rule of 2025 Royals run scoring: If the Royals get an early scoring opportunity, you can tell if they’re going to score runs in that game by whether they cash it in.
Today, in the top of the third, with one out, Kyle Isbel hit a double down the left field line. Then he stole third on a ridiculously great jump. Jonathan India was hit on the wrist by the next pitch, giving the Royals runners at first and third with only one out for Bobby Witt Jr. A flyball would score a run. Given Bobby’s speed, a groundball would also likely score a run. Bobby, instead, struck out on three straight pitches, finishing on a slider well below the zone. Vinnie Pasquantino then hit a looping liner to right field that, based on its launch angle and velocity, carried a .790 expected batting average (xBA). Unfortunately, based on the direction of the hit, it went directly at right fielder, Addison Barger, and ended the inning.
The second rule of 2025 Royals run scoring: If they don’t cash it in, it’s very likely their opponent will score multiple runs in the next half inning.
Noah Cameron, who has been fantastic this year, did not have anything approaching his best stuff today. He only got 10 whiffs in the entire game. It’s hard to pitch well when everyone is making contact with all of your pitches, no matter what Rex might say. Still, it’s hard to say he was bad in the bottom of the third. He allowed a bunt single, hit a batter, and then gave up a sacrifice bunt to the number nine hitter, Joey Loperfido.
Davis Schneider then got a blooper into right center that John Rave misplayed into two runs and Schneider at second base. He scored on a single from Bo Bichette and the Royals, having already as good as shouted that they weren’t going to score any runs, were down three.
But then a weird thing happened, they scored runs anyway. By doing things they’ve failed to do all year long.
Salvador Perez got things started with a two-out solo shot in the top of the sixth.
With that swing, Salvy passes George Brett for the most 20-homer seasons in Royals history!
Then in the seventh, they manufactured a run. Adam Frazier hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on Randall Grichuk’s groundout to second, and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Kyle Isbel.
Unfortunately, the Blue Jays then called in Seranthony Dominguez, then Jeff Hoffman, and the Royals couldn’t get anything going. The Jays scored another run in the seventh against a combination of Noah Cameron and Steven Cruz, and that was all they needed.
Injury updates
- Jonathan India was hit on the wrist/forearm with a pitch in the third inning and exited the game before batting in the fifth.
- Steven Cruz exited the game after walking one and allowing a hit with one out in the seventh
As nice as it would have been to win the series today, the Royals get another chance tomorrow. Seth Lugo will pitch for Kansas City; Chris Bassitt will go for the Blue Jays. The game will start a little earlier than usual because of the Eastern time zone, 12:37 CDT.