SerpApi.Org
It’s been a disappointing season for the Kansas City Royals. However, there is one thing that’s never wavered: the club’s competitive spirit.
On Tuesday, the Royals took another injury on the chin. Rising star Jac Caglianone left early with right-shoulder soreness after attempting to make a diving grab in the outfield at Kauffman Stadium.
And All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. didn’t play. He missed the game with back spasms and is considered day-to-day.
But the Royals (42-60) still found a way to piece together a 3-2 home victory. They did it behind rookie starting pitcher Luinder Avila and some timely hitting.
“Obviously, the record is not where we want it,” Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. “But what we can control is going out there tomorrow and playing hard and we continue to do that on a nightly basis. So we’re going to continue to not give up and go keep trying to have good at-bats.
“(Just) try to, you know, score as many runs as possible. Keep hitting the ball hard and keep controlling the strike zone and just playing our game.”
Avila pitched a quality start Tuesday. He allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings with a career-high seven strikeouts.
The Giants scored both runs in the fifth inning. They were aided by an error from Royals shortstop Tyler Tolbert with two outs. Tolbert threw wildly to second base, and that allowed a run to score.
Avila was undeterred by the mistake. He settled back into a rhythm and kept attacking the San Francisco lineup.
“You always prepare every day to go do that,” Avila said via a translator. “And I felt like I could’ve gone longer, but we have a great bullpen with great pitchers out there. And it was their turn.”
Avila worked a scoreless sixth, retiring Casey Schmitt, Rafael Devers and Willy Adames.
The Royals gave Avila the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth thanks to RBI singles from Pasquantino and Nick Loftin.
Pasquantino and Loftin had two hits apiece. Loftin drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded single. He now has four multi-hit efforts in his last 11 games.
“Anytime you can get that go-ahead run there, I mean, it’s huge,” Pasquantino said. “So for him, he’s been battling. He’s been having great at-bats all year long. He’s been doing a fantastic job so seeing him come through there was great.”
The Royals also got a strong effort from rookie catcher Carter Jensen, who continues to thrive in the leadoff spot. The KCMO native belted his 14th homer in the third inning, sending the baseball over the right-field wall. The blast traveled 416 feet.
“A long at-bat,” Jensen said of his homer. “It ended the way I’d liked it to, so that was fun. But yeah, I was just trying to fight off the fringe pitches so I could get one that I knew I could handle and drive.”
Royals pitchers Matt Strahm, John Schreiber and Alex Lange helped preserve the victory in relief.
Strahm and Schreiber pitched scoreless innings and Lange, who blew a save opportunity Monday, rebounded with his ninth save of the year.
“I let the boys down the last couple of times and they picked me up,” Lange said. “So (that’s the) life of a reliever. You’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to answer the bell the next day. No one feels sorry for you. Get out there and get the job done the next time.”
The Royals have won four of their last five games and consecutive series following the All-Star break.
“You got to keep grinding out the at-bats and doing the best you can,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “And the pitching made it stand up tonight. It was good.”
The Giants dropped to 42-59. The Royals will look to earn a series sweep on Wednesday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.
What’s next: Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (3-6, 4.39 ERA) will start opposite Giants righty Landen Roupp (7-8, 3.98 ERA) in Wednesday’s matinee. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. Central Time.
