Kansas City Royals News

Marlins top Royals, sweep second straight series

Marlins top Royals, sweep second straight series

Jesus Sanchez blasted a 445-foot homer and drove in four runs to lead the host Miami Marlins to their sixth straight win, a 6-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez, who leads the majors with a .403 batting average, went 2-for-4. Arraez, who is seeking his second straight batting title, has five consecutive multi-hit games.Sanchez went 3-for-4. He is now hitting .306 on the season, and his third-inning homer on Wednesday staked the Marlins to a 3-1 lead.Miami has swept two straight series, beating the two teams with the worst records in the majors. Prior to taking three games from Kansas City (18-44), the Marlins captured a three-game set versus the Athletics, who are a major-league-worst 14-50.Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (5-4) earned the win, allowing two hits, two walks and one run. He struck out four, but left after just five innings due to a blister.The Marlins are now 8-5 when starting Cabrera this season, including three straight wins. He is 5-0 at home and 0-4 on the road.Marlins closer A.J. Puk pitched a scoreless ninth in his first game since May 10. He was activated from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday.Royals starter Jordan Lyles, who leads the majors in losses, allowed six hits, one walk and five runs in seven-plus innings. After winning 12 games last year, Lyles is now 0-10, and the Royals are 0-13 when he starts.
Luis Arraez tops .400 as Marlins beat Royals again

Luis Arraez tops .400 as Marlins beat Royals again

Luis Arraez went 2-for-4 to raise his batting average to .401, leading the host Miami Marlins to their fifth straight win, a 6-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.Arraez, who won an American League batting title last year for the Minnesota Twins, scored two runs and drove in one. He leads the majors in batting average.Miami also got a three-run double from Bryan De La Cruz and a solo home run from Jesus Sanchez.Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo (5-4) tossed seven innings and allowed one run on two hits and no walks with eight strikeouts.Royals starter Zack Greinke (1-6) gave up four hits and five runs, one earned, in 4 1/3 innings. He fanned three without issuing a walk.Miami broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning. Sanchez started the frame with his 379-foot homer to the opposite field in left.From there, the Marlins loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Joey Wendle and Jean Segura and a fielder's-choice grounder on which no one was retired. Arraez picked up on RBI single to make it 2-0, and with two outs, De La Cruz hit a 101 mph line drive just over the glove of right fielder MJ Melendez to clear the bases.
Luis Arraez, Marlins pound their way past Royals

Luis Arraez, Marlins pound their way past Royals

Luis Arraez stroked three hits to improve his major league-leading batting average to .399, leading the host Miami Marlins to a 9-6 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.Arraez went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, one double and one run as the Marlins won their fourth straight game.The Marlins, who trailed 4-0 in the third inning, finished with 11 hits, including Bryan De La Cruz's two-run home run.Braxton Garrett (2-2) earned the win despite allowing six hits and four runs in five innings.Dylan Floro earned a two-pitch save, getting a double-play grounder. It was his seventh save of the season.MJ Melendez, who played high school ball in Miami, led Kansas City's offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Teammate Nick Pratto slugged a solo homer. Pratto and Salvador Perez each had two hits and one RBI.Reliever Mike Mayers (1-1) took the loss, allowing nine hits and seven runs (six earned) in three innings.Kansas City opened the scoring in the first on Melendez's opposite-field RBI double that got past a diving De La Cruz in left. Pratto, who had singled, scored from first.Melendez then scored on Perez's ground-ball RBI single that deflected off the glove of shortstop Joey Wendle.
Brady Singer and Royals shut down Rockies

Brady Singer and Royals shut down Rockies

Brady Singer logged his first scoreless outing of the season and Maikel Garcia hit his first career home run to propel the host Kansas City Royals to a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday afternoon.Singer (4-4) scattered five hits across 5 2/3 innings while striking out seven without issuing a walk. Relievers Taylor Clarke and Aroldis Chapman combined for 2 1/3 innings of relief before Colorado staged a mini rally in the ninth.Singles from Mike Moustakas and Harold Castro put runners at first and second with one out, but Scott Barlow fanned Elehuris Montero and Ezequiel Tovar to notch his seventh save.Michael Massey singled to drive in MJ Melendez in the bottom of the fifth to give the Royals all the offense they would need to salvage the finale of the three-game series. Garcia then provided an insurance run in the eighth when he blasted Kyle Freeland's 2-2 changeup over the center field wall for his milestone homer.Although he took the loss, Freeland (4-7) still put together a quality start. He allowed two runs on four hits with no walks and one strikeout in seven innings.Nolan Jones and Moustakas each had a pair of hits for the Rockies, who have dropped five of their last seven games.
Rockies use fast start to topple Royals

Rockies use fast start to topple Royals

Elehuris Montero had a two-run triple to highlight a five-run first inning, lifting the visiting Colorado Rockies to a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.Ryan McMahon, Randal Grichuk and Charlie Blackmon each had an RBI single and scored a run for the Rockies, who have won two in a row following a four-game losing skid.The offense was more than enough for Matt Carasiti (1-0), who picked up his second win in the major leagues and first since Aug. 19, 2016. He relieved Rockies starter Austin Gomber and allowed one hit and struck out two batters over 2 1/3 scoreless innings.Colorado relievers Jake Bird and Brad Hand bridged the gap to Justin Lawrence, who recorded the final four outs to secure his second save of the season.Nick Pratto homered to lead off the first inning and Maikel Garcia, Drew Waters and Salvador Perez each had an RBI single for the Royals, who have lost 10 of their last 13 games.Colorado wasted no time setting the tone as Blackmon was hit by a pitch from Daniel Lynch (0-1) to lead off the game, advanced to second on a fielding error and scored on McMahon's single to left field.Grichuk doubled the advantage with an RBI single to center and joined McMahon in scoring on Montero's triple into the right-field corner. Brenton Doyle's sacrifice fly plated Montero to give the Rockies a 5-0 lead.
Rockies rally for 6 in 8th to beat Royals, 7-2

Rockies rally for 6 in 8th to beat Royals, 7-2

Ryan McMahon homered and later drove in the go-ahead run in the six-run eighth inning to help the visiting Colorado Rockies rally for a 7-2 win against the Kansas City Royals in the opener of their three-game series on Friday night.Elias Diaz had two hits and two RBIs for the Rockies, who were coming off being swept in a four-game series by the Arizona Diamondbacks.Rockies starter Chase Anderson gave up two runs and four hits in six innings of his fourth start since Colorado claimed him off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on May 12. He struck out two and walked one.Brent Suter (4-0) pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth inning to earn the win.Edward Olivares and Drew Waters homered and MJ Melendez had two hits for the Royals, who have dropped five of seven.Kansas City starter Jordan Lyles allowed one run and two hits in five innings, striking out eight and walking one. Lyles, who remains 0-9, was in line for his first win in 12 starts this season before the Rockies rallied in the eighth.Kansas City reliever Carlos Hernandez (0-3) began the eighth by surrendering a leadoff single to Brenton Doyle followed by a ground-rule double to Ezequiel Tovar.After a diving play by first baseman Nick Pratto on a Charlie Blackmon grounder kept the runners from advancing, Jurickson Profar hit a grounder to second baseman Nicky Lopez with the infield in and Doyle beat his throw home to tie the score 2-2.
Royals place LHP Amir Garrett (elbow) on injured list

Royals place LHP Amir Garrett (elbow) on injured list

The Kansas City Royals placed left-handed reliever Amir Garrett on the 15-day injured list on Friday.Garrett, 31, has valgus extension overload in his left elbow. His IL designation is retroactive to Monday.Garrett has no decisions and a 3.00 ERA in 23 relief appearances this season.
Miles Mikolas has terrific night as Cardinals edge Royals

Miles Mikolas has terrific night as Cardinals edge Royals

Miles Mikolas threw eight scoreless innings as the host St. Louis Cardinals edged the Kansas City Royals 2-1 Tuesday.Mikolas (3-1) allowed just three hits and walk while tying his career high with 10 strikeouts. Giovanny Gallegos survived Kansas City's ninth-inning rally to earn his seventh save.Nolan Arenado and Nolan Gorman drove in the runs for the Cardinals, who earned a split in the two-game series while playing their 19th games in 19 days.Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke blanked the Cardinals for five innings while allowing just two hits and a walk. He struck out six.Reliever Carlos Hernandez (0-2) took the loss as the Royals fell for the eighth time in 11 games.Mikolas opened the game by hitting Nick Pratto and allowing Vinnie Pasquantino's single. Pratto took third on a flyout, but Mikolas retired the next two batters.The Royals threatened in the fourth inning after MJ Melendez reached on a fielder's choice and took second on a wild pitch. But he was thrown out trying to score on Michael Massey's single into right field.Alec Burleson hit a leadoff double in the fifth inning for St. Louis and took third on a wild pitch. But Greinke retired the next three hitters.
Royals' pitchers perfect through 7 innings vs. Cardinals

Royals' pitchers perfect through 7 innings vs. Cardinals

The Kansas City Royals are working on what would be the first combined perfect game in baseball history against the Cardinals through seven innings Monday in St. Louis.Reliever Josh Staumont started the game as the opener and retired the three batters he faced. Mike Mayers relieved him and retired the next 18 in order.Royals outfielder Drew Waters kept the perfect game going with a diving catch of Tommy Edman's sinking liner into center field to end the sixth inning.
Four Royals pitchers combine on two-hit shutout of Cardinals

Four Royals pitchers combine on two-hit shutout of Cardinals

Mike Mayers, Josh Staumont, Taylor Clarke and Amir Garrett combined to throw a two-hitter Monday as the visiting Kansas City Royals blanked the St. Louis Cardinals 7-0.The Royals used Staumont as the opener in a bullpen game. He set the Cardinals down in order in the first inning, then Mayers (1-0) came on to retire the next 18 batters to take a perfect game into the eighth inning.The Cardinals finally broke through against Mayers when Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras hit singles to open the eighth.Vinnie Pasquantino and Michael Massey each drove in two runs for the Royals, who won their second straight game after losing seven of their previous eight.Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (2-1) allowed three runs on nine hits in five innings. He struck out six batters and walked two.The Cardinals lost outfielder Lars Nootbaar to lower back spasms in the third inning. He pulled up short while chasing a double from Nick Pratto into the right-center field gap.Pratto and Pasquantino hit doubles opening the third inning to put the Royals up 1-0.The Royals pushed their lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning. Salvador Perez hit a single and scored on MJ Melendez's triple. After Massey walked, Freddy Fermin dropped down a run-scoring safety squeeze bunt.
Late error helps Royals avoid sweep against Nationals

Late error helps Royals avoid sweep against Nationals

The Kansas City Royals took advantage of a ninth-inning error to rally for a 3-2 win over the visiting Washington Nationals on Sunday afternoon.With one out, MJ Melendez reached second when first baseman Dominic Smith misplayed a grounder. One out later, Michael Massey's hit to right field gave the Royals their second walk-off win of the year.Solo home runs by Melendez in the seventh inning and Edward Olivares in the eighth forged a tie. Melendez connected for the first time since May 8, his fifth of the year, and Olivares for the first time since May 10, his fourth.Scott Barlow (2-3) picked up the win by pitching a hitless ninth inning, while Chad Kuhl (0-3) was the hard-luck loser.After surrendering a leadoff double in the first, Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore retired 19 of the next 21 batters and allowed just three balls out of the infield before Melendez's one-out homer in the seventh.Gore struck out a career-high 11 while matching his career best with seven innings, allowing a run on three hits and a walk.Ildemaro Vargas' one-out double off the top of the left-field wall opened the scoring for Washington in the fourth.Michael Chavis followed with an RBI hit to center, giving the Nationals a 2-0 lead. Chavis and Smith each had two of Washington's eight hits.
CJ Abrams' tiebreaking double lifts Nationals over Royals

CJ Abrams' tiebreaking double lifts Nationals over Royals

CJ Abrams' two-run double rallied the Washington Nationals to a 4-2 win over the host Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon.One day after scoring eight sixth-inning runs in a come-from-behind victory, the Nationals again rebounded from a sixth-inning deficit, scoring four as Abrams' bases-loaded double broke a 2-2 tie.The Nationals were hitless until Jeimer Candelario's leadoff double in the fourth against Royals starter Brady Singer, who worked around three walks, striking out six, as the Nationals were 0-for-8 with runners-in-scoring-position over the first five innings.Washington chased Singer in the sixth when Candelario singled and Corey Dickerson delivered his 1,000th career hit, an RBI double. Candelario and Dickerson each had a pair of hits.The Nationals continued the rally against Royals reliever Josh Taylor (1-3) as Keibert Ruiz singled to score Dickerson, tying the game.Without retiring a batter, Taylor allowed two hits and walked the bases full before Abrams drilled a 2-2 fastball on one hop off the right-field wall for a 4-2 Nationals' lead.Taylor has retired just three of his last 10 batters faced and five have scored.The Royals opened the scoring on a two-out wild pitch in the first inning and Salvador Perez made it 2-0 in the third with a solo shot to left, his 12th home run and ninth May homer.
Luis Garcia's six hits lead Nationals past Royals

Luis Garcia's six hits lead Nationals past Royals

Luis Garcia matched a franchise record with six hits as the Washington Nationals outlasted the host Kansas City Royals 12-10 on Friday evening.The Nationals opened an explosive sixth inning with back-to-back leadoff doubles by Garcia and Joey Meneses.After Jeimer Candelario walked, Corey Dickerson delivered his second home run of the year -- a three-run shot -- into the right-field bullpen, snapping a 2-2 tie.Among his career-best six hits, Garcia doubled twice in the sixth as Washington sent 12 batters to the plate, scoring eight for their biggest inning of the season.Bobby Witt Jr.'s ninth homer -- and second of the game -- highlighted a five-run seventh inning as Kansas City batted around, cutting the lead to 9-8.Meneses collected his third hit ahead of Candelario's two-run triple, helping Washington add three eighth-inning insurance runs.Witt matched a career high with four hits and his career-best fifth RBI capped Kansas City's scoring during a two-run eighth.Chad Kuhl recorded five outs for his first career save.Lane Thomas led off the game against Jordan Lyles (0-9) with his eighth homer, a 421-foot shot over the left-field bullpen. It was his sixth career leadoff home run and first since Sept. 23 last year.
Royals release veteran 3B/OF Hunter Dozier

Royals release veteran 3B/OF Hunter Dozier

The Kansas City Royals released veteran third baseman/outfielder Hunter Dozier on Saturday.Dozier, 31, was designated for assignment Monday after batting .183 with two homers and nine RBIs in 29 games this year.Dozier is in the third season of a four-year, $25 million extension signed in March 2021.The Royals are on the hook for the remainder of his $7.25 million in 2023 and the $9 million he's owed in 2024.
Nationals, Royals ready for rare matchup

Nationals, Royals ready for rare matchup

The Washington Nationals are set to visit Kansas City for the first time in seven years when they oppose the Royals in the opener of a three-game set on Friday.Washington took two of three at Kansas City in May 2016. The teams have met once since then, when the host Nationals claimed two of three in July 2019.Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin (3-5, 4.47 ERA) will oppose Royals right-hander Jordan Lyles (0-8, 7.15) on Friday.Corbin helped the Nationals to their 2019 series victory by throwing seven shutout innings, striking out 11 and walking none. He got a no-decision in a game that Washington won 5-2.Corbin has allowed no runs over 9 2/3 innings in two appearances against the Royals. Among current Kansas City hitters, only Matt Duffy has hit safely against Corbin, going 3-for-12.In each of his seven starts since April 16, Corbin has thrown at least 5 1/3 innings while allowing no more than three earned runs. He has six quality starts this year, tied for fifth in the National League.Corbin, who is coming off consecutive wins, hasn't won three straight decisions since May 2021. His command of the strike zone has been especially sharp of late, as he has allowed just one walk over his past 25 innings.The Nationals arrive in Kansas City after dropping an 8-6 decision against the San Diego Padres on Thursday afternoon to complete a 3-3 homestand.While Washington has lost six of its past nine games, its offense has been more productive recently, generating 52 runs in the past 10 games.Leadoff hitter Lane Thomas has a 10-game hitting streak in which he is batting .366 (15-for-41) with three home runs.Ildemaro Vargas has hit safely in six of eight games since his May 3 return from the 10-day injured list, batting .440 (11-for-25). He had been out for almost a month due to a left shoulder strain."I can't say enough about what Vargas does," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "He goes out there and plays with a lot of fun, a lot of energy."Over his past 10 games, Washington's Jeimer Candelario is hitting .436 (17-for-39) with eight extra-base hits. Among Nationals hitters, Candelario has the most experience against Lyles, with one hit in eight at-bats.
Tigers ride pinch-hit homer to win over Royals

Tigers ride pinch-hit homer to win over Royals

Pinch-hitter Zack Short's three-run homer led the visiting Detroit Tigers to a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday evening.Short's second home run of the season -- a one-out shot to left-center off Josh Taylor (1-2) -- broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth. It was his first career pinch-hit homer and the Tigers' third pinch-hit home run of the year, most in the majors.Taylor allowed three runs on three hits in relief of Royals' starter Zack Greinke.Will Vest (1-0) got four outs for the victory and Alex Lange earned his ninth save.Both starting pitchers breezed through the first three innings, striking out a combined seven batters with just two reaching base, then both labored through the fourth.Detroit was hitless until Riley Greene's one-out solo homer in the fourth. Greene's 440-foot blast into the right-center-field fountains was his fifth home run of the season. He also doubled and scored ahead of Short's homer.Greinke surrendered one run on four hits and a walk, striking out five over five innings.Tigers starter Matthew Boyd allowed a run on three hits and two walks, striking out six in 4 2/3 innings.The Royals tied the game, 1-1, in the bottom half of the fourth on MJ Melendez's bases-loaded grounder.
Bullpen, big inning carry Royals past Tigers

Bullpen, big inning carry Royals past Tigers

Michael Massey's double sparked a three-run fourth inning and the Kansas City bullpen made it hold up as the host Royals defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Tuesday.With one out in the fourth, shortstop Javy Baez's throwing error put Edward Olivares on first base. Massey followed with a liner into the right field corner on the next pitch. Massey then scored on Maikel Garcia's RBI single. The next two Royals batters also reached base before Salvador Perez made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly.Eduardo Rodriguez (4-4) flirted with trouble all night, putting runners in scoring position before escaping with back-to-back strikeouts in each of the first two innings. Ultimately, he completed five innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits and two walks. He struck out nine.Making just his sixth career start -- and first since Sept. 6 of last year -- Mike Mayers fanned the first four Tigers he faced and a career-best eight over 4 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits and a walk.Over the first three innings, the two starters combined to strike out 13 of 23 batters.Mayers exited with runners on first and second and two outs in the fifth. Baez hit reliever Jose Cuas' first pitch for an RBI single. The Tigers finished with eight hits -- all singles with Baez getting two of them.Kansas City answered, however, with Olivares' RBI single in the bottom half of the fifth for a 4-1 lead.Four Royals' relievers hurled 4 1/3 innings to close out the Tigers.
Royals DFA Hunter Dozier

Royals DFA Hunter Dozier

The Kansas City Royals on Monday designated infielder/outfielder Hunter Dozier, who's in the third year of a $25 million contract.The Royals are on the hook for the remainder of Dozier's $7.25 million in 2023 and the $9 million he's owed in 2024.Infielder Nicky Lopez takes Dozier's roster spot. The club reinstated Lopez from the 10-day injured list on Monday after a bout with appendicitis.
Javier Baez’s clutch double powers Tigers over Royals

Javier Baez’s clutch double powers Tigers over Royals

Javier Baez's three-run double lifted the visiting Detroit Tigers to an 8-5 extra-inning win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday evening.Baez lined a first-pitch fastball from Scott Barlow (1-3) to the base of the left-field bullpen fence, clearing the bases and breaking a 5-5 tenth-inning tie. It was Baez's third hit as he snapped an 0-for-19 slump.Four Tigers' relievers provided five innings of hitless relief after the Royals forged a 5-5 tie in the fifth. Alex Lange (2-0) earned the win with two hitless innings and Jose Cisnero pitched the tenth for his first save since 2021.Detroit has won five of seven extra-inning games.Tigers' starter Michael Lorenzen recovered from consecutive first-inning home runs to face the minimum over the next four innings on just 46 pitches.Lorenzen finished 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks, striking out five.Control issues plagued Royals' starter Brady Singer as he walked four, including a bases-loaded free pass to Akil Baddoo to get the Tigers on the scoreboard in the first before Matt Vierling delivered a two-run single for an early 3-0 Detroit lead.Vierling's fourth homer, a two-run shot to left-center in the third, broke a 3-3 tie. He added a seventh-inning single and matched a career high with four RBI.
Royals add RHP Nick Wittgren, option RHP Max Castillo

Royals add RHP Nick Wittgren, option RHP Max Castillo

The Kansas City Royals selected the contract of right-hander Nick Wittgren from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday and had him swap roster spots with right-hander Max Castillo, who was optioned.Wittgren, 31, has seven years of major league experience, most recently last season with the St. Louis Cardinals. He is 19-15 with a 3.96 ERA in 287 appearances (one start) for the Miami Marlins (2016-18), Cleveland franchise (2019-21) and Cardinals.

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