Final Score: PHI 4 | KC 7

Overall Record: 72-56

Winning/Losing Pitcher

W: Michael Wacha (11-6, 3.32)

L: Taijuan Walker (3-5, 6.26)

Game Summary

The Royals came into the game winning 21 straight while giving up four runs or fewer. With the Phillies in town for just the third time ever, this became an under-the-radar offensive matchup. The game got off to a quick start for the Royals. Vinnie scored from first on a Salvador Perez double, as the speedster is known to do. Vinnie was able to get on his horse after two pick-off attempts from Taijuan Walker. The new pick-off balk rule allowed him to begin moving after the first movement from Walker on the mound. 

After a blank second inning, the Phillies were able to draw it even because of a Brandon Marsh single in the third. Wacha got out of a first and third situation due to a 5-4-3 double play from Trae Turner. The Royals seemed to take offense to the threat, blasting off in the bottom of the inning with five runs. After two pick-off attempts, Michael Massey avoided a double play by moving on the pitch. Are you noticing the trend that Walker established?

Massey was able to score on a subsequent Vinnie Pasquantino single to right. This came just in time for a Salvador Perez home run on a 0-1 pitch, his 23rd home run of the season, on a 0-1 pitch. The 434-foot shot was good for his 899th and 900th career RBI, all in a Royals uniform. Renfroe didn’t want to miss out on the career milestones, hitting his own two-run bomb soon after. This home run drove in the 500th run of his career. 

Five runs scored in the third inning which proved enough to win the game. The Phillies tried to make it interesting late by tagging the Royals’ pen. The Royals went on to score one more run on a Paul Dejong double bringing to score to 7-2. Brandon Marsh almost caught Wacha on his way out, taking a ball deep to the track for a long, loud out. Philadelphia then managed to score two on Kris Bubic in the eighth after three straight soft grounders turned into hits. Bryce Harper scored on a wild pitch and Alec Bohm scored right after on a Bryson Stott sacrifice fly. 

With the game back to a three-run deficit at 7-4, Lucas Erceg was called on to earn the save. After giving up a double to lead off the inning, Erceg proved to be just aching for some drama. He quickly forced two fly ball outs to MJ Melendez in left field before striking out Trae Turner for his 13th save of the season.

The Royals moved into sole second in the AL Central because of the win. Furthermore, they moved just one game back from the Cleveland Guardians in first. The Royals also extend their winning streak to 22 when allowing four runs or fewer.

Players of the Game

Salvador Perez went 2-4 with three RBI after a double and a massive two-run bomb that highlighted the Royals’ third inning. Salvy has been rock steady after his fall back to earth in June. He was never going to continue to hit .340 as he was for the first month and a half of the season. However, he has hovered around a .800 OPS ever since stabilizing in June, shoring up the clean-up spot in the lineup.

Hunter Renfroe hit the other bomb of the game, going 1-2 in the game with two walks and two runs batted in. Struggling as of late the power and on-base combination in his stat line point towards a possible upturn in production. This could be perfect timing as the team pushes for the division in the final month of the season. 

Michael Wacha punches in another quality start as he goes 6 innings, giving up 6 hits, 2 runs, zero walks, and punching out 5. He’s quietly dropped his ERA down to 3.32 on the season and continues to find easy out of tough situations. While there hasn’t been a marquee outing for Wacha on the season, his addition has still proved to be very valuable to this rotation as a middle rotation piece. 

Summary of the Next Game

The Royals will send Brady Singer (9-8, 3.18 ERA) to the mound to face off against Ranger Suárez (10-5, 2.87). Now only a game back in the AL Central, the Royals will play with a chance to tie the Guardians for the lead in the division. Suárez is a force on the mound, meaning the Royals’ offense will have their work cut out for them. With the potential to win the series before game three, a pitcher’s duel may be in the cards. The division isn’t the only thing on the line while the Royals continue to play only 4.5 games back from a first-round bye in the playoffs. 

Photo by AP Photo/Charlie Riedel