Lopez wins it after taking a nap during delay

ST. LOUIS -- When Sunday’s game finally resumed after a rain delay of more than two hours, it took approximately six minutes for the Royals to retake the lead and 19 minutes to secure a 6-5 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, avoiding a series sweep at the hands of their cross-state rivals.

With one out and runners on the corners in the top of the ninth inning, Nicky Lopez got into an 0-2 count against Cardinals closer Alex Reyes on two foul balls, including a foul bunt that Lopez was trying to execute to score Jarrod Dyson.

“I was a little disappointed in that, because I take pride in being able to do the small things right,” Lopez said. “Move the runner, safety squeeze. So when it went foul, I was a little upset. And when he went to 0-2, I knew I had to get into battle mode.”

Reyes threw Lopez a fastball in, and the Royals shortstop did what he’s been doing all season: Drove the ball through the gap, scored a run and got on base.

It was Lopez’s first career go-ahead RBI in the ninth inning or later. He’s been a consistent bright spot for the Royals this year defensively and offensively, and moving him up to the No. 2 spot in the lineup in an Interleague game, when he’s usually in the nine-hole, didn’t seem to change his approach.

“Nicky did just shorten up,” manager Mike Matheny said. “That’s been the key to his season. He understands the times where he can maybe drive the ball a little bit, other times where he’s just got to use the field and take a nice short pass. The ball jumps off his bat when he doesn’t try to do so much, and he usually has a better approach.”

The Royals had used five relievers before the ninth after starter Kris Bubic’s 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball, so Matheny was down to two pitchers because Josh Staumont was unavailable. The bullpen had coughed up a four-run lead, including Greg Holland’s three runs in the eighth inning, for the Cardinals to tie it as dark clouds loomed over Busch Stadium.

Matheny wanted to save Ervin Santana for length if the game got to extra innings, so the bottom of the ninth belonged to Richard Lovelady.

A quick 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts looking earned the lefty his first career save.

“It was thrilling,” Lovelady said. “I was pumped. I was excited, I really was. This is a big win for us to pick up, especially to close out the long road trip. This is big to come back home and get ready for the Yankees.”

The Royals’ momentum was completely halted with the rain delay; Kansas City was able to get runners on second and third base against Reyes with no outs with Hanser Alberto’s single and Dyson’s bunt fielder’s choice that first baseman Paul Goldschmidt threw into center field for an error.

Then the skies opened up, and a torrential downpour and lightning show followed.

“Just to get a lot of momentum there, getting [Dyson] to have the bunt force and them having some pressure, and being in a really good spot, then all of a sudden having to slam on the brakes,” Matheny said. “Not ideal.”

The Royals spent the time doing crossword and sudoku puzzles. Some watched video. Lopez took a 15-20 minute power nap at his locker.

By the time the game resumed close to 7 p.m. CT, they were refreshed and energized. And despite the momentum being on the Cardinals' side, the Royals avoided a sweep and ended the 3-6 road trip on a better note than it started with a sweep by the Blue Jays.

“The whole year, we’ve been battling,” Lopez said. “These are one of those wins that you look back and say, ‘Let’s take note of this,’ because it’s the type of team that we are. We’re a resilient bunch. The future is bright. We have the pieces, we just have to put it all together.”