Image Credit: AP Photo / Phil Long
Final Score: KC 1 | OAK 5
Overall Record: 41-34
Winning/Losing Pitcher
W: Luis Medina (1-2 | 4.71 ERA)
L: Cole Ragans (4-5 | 3.13 ERA)
Royals Player(s) of the Game
Bobby Witt Jr: 2-4, 1 RBI
Not much went right for the Royals in this one, but (as per usual) Bobby Witt Jr did more than his fair share at the plate. He collected two of the team’s eight hits and drove in their only run of the game. After a couple hot starts from other players, the rest of the lineup has started to cool down around Witt. One player can make a big difference for a team, but one player certainly can’t do everything.
Cole Ragans: 6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 7 K, 4 BB
It wasn’t Ragans best performance of the year, but it was one that should have been enough for his team to pick up the win. Walks were his crux in this outing, as three of his four free passes led to runs for Oakland. However, if a starter can go six innings, allow just two runs, and strike out seven batters, it’s a pretty good start for just about anyone’s standards.
Other Highlights
Kyle Isbel collected a pair of hits at the bottom of the lineup. He now has the highest average on the team (with at least 150 at-bats) outside of the top four batters in the lineup. Is that a good thing for him or a bad thing for the team? Probably a little bit of both.
Five of the top six batters in the lineup got a hit. Eventually, that should lead to more runs when those hits get stringed together at the same time. They have scored more than five runs just once in the last six games, but I don’t think the run totals quite line up with the hits collected.
Summary of the Next Game
Seth Lugo will take the mound on Thursday, trying to stop the skid. He will square off against Mitch Spence. The Royals have yet to be swept this season, and it would be a bit of a surprise and disappointment if it were the A’s that finally did them in. Although, it is the Royals, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened.
