Big hits elude Royals vs. Cleveland
KANSAS CITY -- In Wednesday night’s extra-innings loss to Cleveland, the Royals were searching for the big hit late, one that would help them break through with the bases loaded and no outs.
In Thursday’s series-finale loss, the Royals were still searching.
Kansas City managed six hits in its 4-2 loss at Kauffman Stadium, as starter Triston McKenzie and the Cleveland bullpen handed the Royals a series sweep just three games after returning home from a seven-win road trip.
Thursday’s loss marked the Royals’ 11th consecutive loss to the Indians this season. They haven’t beaten the American League Central foe -- which has hovered around .500 all season and is 9 1/2 games behind the first-place White Sox -- since Cleveland’s home opener in April. The 11 losses against the Tribe is a new franchise record, beating the 10 straight from July 21 to Sept. 24, 2005.
“I haven’t really thought about that,” shortstop Nicky Lopez said. “Last year, Chicago [White Sox, 9-1 against the Royals in 2020] had our number. This year, it seems like Cleveland has our number a little bit.”
In this current span, the Royals have been outscored 67-36.
This series saw the Indians jump out to big leads and win tight games, with the Royals offense scoring just seven runs over the three games.
“Sometimes you run into streaks like that where you’re facing a guy who’s dialed in,” Lopez said. “Sometimes you have those nights. You have to come back the next day and flush it and move on.”
On Thursday, they scored one in the second with Hunter Dozier’s RBI single scoring Michael A. Taylor. But McKenzie retired 13 of the next 14, with Carlos Santana only reaching base because of an error by third baseman José Ramírez. The Royals’ next run didn’t come until the ninth.
Not only does Cleveland have the upper hand against the Royals this season, but McKenzie in particular has baffled them: In four appearances (three starts) against the Royals in 2021, the 24-year-old has posted a 0.83 ERA (two earned runs in 21 2/3 innings). The Royals are hitting just .099 (7-for-71) against him.
“We’ve had trouble with this starter here for a while and just having trouble getting anything going off him at all, any kind of momentum,” manager Mike Matheny said. " … That’s been part of our success, is when we’re playing well, it’s figuring out ways to get guys on then create some pressure. But not a lot of opportunities today.”
McKenzie only generated nine whiffs but made them count, with six strikeouts in six innings. He relied on weak contact from the Royals, who were thrown off by his breaking ball usage. He threw 16 sliders and 16 curveballs compared to 44 fastballs -- his signature pitch, especially at the top of the zone.
“I think he’s getting better, too,” Matheny said. “The slider’s certainly a pitch that’s improved, just going from what the guys were saying, not picking up a lot of spin. It has good break. And he’s been effective at the top of the zone, which tells you that his spin is helping him. He’s executing.”
That didn’t give the Royals much margin for error. Starter Mike Minor had allowed one hit through four scoreless innings, but that came undone in the fifth inning.
Emmanuel Rivera’s throwing error put a runner on first, and Minor followed by allowing a single and a three-run homer to give up the Royals’ lead. Minor gave up a double to Ryan Lavarnway, who lined an inside fastball to left field, and a single to Amed Rosario, who jammed a first-pitch inside fastball to left.
“After throwing in all day to those guys, maybe he was looking for it or quick to it,” Minor said. “But I still made quality pitches that whole inning. It just didn’t look like it because there were a lot of hits.”
At 93 pitches, Minor’s night was done after five innings. Joel Payamps pitched a scoreless sixth inning before giving way to Kris Bubic, who gave up one run in two innings and who had been a regular starter until this week. He’ll go back to the rotation next week, but the Royals needed a stretched out arm to help cover innings with how overworked their bullpen was this series.
The good or bad news, depending on how you look at it, is this: The Royals play Cleveland seven more times this month, with four (including a doubleheader) at Progressive Field from Sept. 20-22 and three at Kauffman Stadium the final week of the season.
“We play them again shortly, and we look to finish the season strong,” Lopez said. “We just got to look forward, not backward. Those losses are behind us.”
Anne Rogers covers the Royals for MLB.com.