Royals 'couldn't get it done' after Zerpa's injury

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals had very few chances to get anything going offensively against Angels lefty José Suarez as they were held to one hit through five innings against the starter who entered the game with a 5.60 ERA.

But when their best opportunity came in the sixth, still only trailing by two runs, it was squandered quickly.

The Royals had the bases loaded with one out, knocking Suarez out of the game. But Hunter Dozier -- who was the only Kansas City hitter on base twice -- grounded into a fielder’s choice with the play at home, and Vinnie Pasquantino flied out to shallow left field to end the inning.

The Angels broke it open from there as Kansas City’s three-game winning streak ended with a 6-0 loss on Tuesday night -- setting up a rubber game in this series on Wednesday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

“That’s a big part of the game,” Dozier said. “[Angels reliever José Quijada is] tough. He’s a good pitcher. He has a good fastball at the top of the zone. I couldn’t get it done, unfortunately, but [it was] a big spot. I wish I could have gotten some guys in.”

What was a close affair early with two starting pitchers dueling turned into a game out of hand when the Angels scored three off reliever Wyatt Mills in the top of the seventh inning. Royals lefty Angel Zerpa, making his second spot start of the season and displaying the cool demeanor the 22-year-old is known for, matched Suarez’s tempo for four innings, seeing who would blink first and make the game-deciding mistake.

It wasn’t a mistake that got the Royals, but an injury.

Fielding a bunt from speedy outfielder Magneuris Sierra in the top of the fifth, Zerpa felt “a crack” in his right knee. And during the at-bat, catcher MJ Melendez and pitching coach Cal Eldred made a mound visit. As soon as Eldred reached the mound, he motioned for manager Mike Matheny and assistant trainer Dave Iannicca to come check on Zerpa.

After a few warmup pitches, Zerpa exited with what was described as right knee discomfort. The club will know more on Wednesday after putting Zerpa through more testing and seeing how he feels.

“Felt some pain as I was coming out of the game,” Zerpa said through interpreter Luis Perez. “Came in and got some treatment done, but I’m feeling much better now.”

Zerpa has done everything the Royals have asked of him in his short time at the Major League level, as he’s yielded just two earned runs in 16 innings. He mixed his four pitches well against the Angels, with his only mistake coming in the third when he left a fastball over the middle of the plate to Shohei Ohtani. The reigning American League MVP crushed it over the center-field wall for a 1-0 lead.

“Feels good to be in that role and for them to trust me to go out and pitch,” Zerpa said. “I was feeling great today until the injury happened.”

“He looked great,” Matheny added. “I love watching him pitch and the style of pitching. His pace. He felt something in the knee, so they’re going to get a closer look. But it didn’t feel good, and you could tell something was going on there. We’ll get some more pictures and find out.

“Both of those starts now, just making quality pitches with everything he had. Mixing it up. Just a shame. Hopefully we get good news."

Zerpa doesn’t seem fazed by much when he’s on the mound, which has his teammates impressed by what he could bring in the future. His health hinges on that, but it’s not hard to imagine him securing a spot on the Royals’ pitching staff later this year and in 2023.

“I’ve been impressed with him since I think he made his first start last year at the end of the year,” Dozier said. “In Spring Training, too. He’s going to help this team, this year and in the future. I’m really excited about him."