Final Score: CHC 0 | KC 6
Overall Record: 57-47
Winning/Losing Pitcher
- W: Brady Singer (7-6 | 2.82 ERA)
- L: Kyle Hendricks (2-9 | 6.95 ERA)
Royals Player of the Game
Brady Singer
7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
There has been a lot of Brady Singer critics out there lately, saying that he should be traded while his value is high, or that this year isn’t sustainable. Well, Brady silenced everyone tonight with his near perfect start. First off, he had everything working at the beginning. Cubs hitters were looking in all the other directions, the sinker would just perfectly track back into the strike zone and they couldn’t do anything about it. Singer’s command was so on point and I truly do think that’s what makes him different from everyone else when he’s on. His pitches don’t even look like strikes. In this new baseball world of picking your pitch, and taking a few pitches, by the time you do that a couple times you find yourself burnt. So as long as Brady is able to locate the way he did tonight, and he continues to take command of the strike zone, he should be a key cog in the clock moving forward. Forget all that garbage of trading him, stop that nonsense now. If this team is competitive this season and moving forward, it will be in part because of Brady Singer.
Key Highlights
We already talked about how incredible Brady Singer was tonight, but Kyle Hendricks was also dealing. Leaving the Royals scoreless through four complete innings. Only real highlight before the Royals half of the fifth was a pretty spectacular play by Kyle Isbel to pull off an inning-ending double play. Really got Singer out of the only mess he got himself into all night.
So that’s why we’ll pick it up in the fifth, because this was truly the inning everything happened. Hope you weren’t waiting in line for last call or dippin dots before they closed, cause you could have missed it. With two quick outs in the fifth, Kyle Hendricks seemed like he was going to continue his reign over the Royals lineup, but then the unthinkable happened. Well, not unthinkable, this offense has done some crazy things this year so far. Still didn’t expect six straight batters to record a hit, and oh yeah, score. So let’s get into it: Garrett Hampson gets the rally started (who thought I’d say that at the beginning of the year) with a single to the opposite field, to which the Royals get some hit and run action going with Kyle Isbel. Who works it out to perfection as the shortstop goes to cover the bag, and the ball rolls right through the hole. Runners on the corners with still two out. Zap, Kyle Isbel just stole a base, so now there’s two in scoring position for Adam Frazier. Who comes through in the leadoff spot again with a two-run bloop single to right field.
Bobby Witt Jr. shows up and singles to continue his crazy tear at the dish after the All-Star break, and up comes the Pasquatch. Vinnie Pasquantino comes through with an RBI single to make it a three-run lead. But the Royals weren’t done. What were those 36,000+ fans (!!!) waiting for the whole night? A Salvador Perez moonshot. He delivers with an absolute blast into the night sky.
Salvy truly opens up his audience to the one thing he has set out to do this season: Bring a brand new flavor of Royals baseball to this electrifying crowd. Salvy always plays up to the moment. Which is why I need to see him in another playoff series environment. Remember the WBC last year? That dude had more to play for then than he did the past six seasons and he was incredible. I can’t wait to see what he has in store the rest of the year. The story continues to unfold and all of us are here for it. There wasn’t a whole lot more in store for this one. Will Smith and Chris Stratton came out and did their jobs to secure this win. The boys play some ball, and wrap this one up quickly. It can’t be stated enough how amazing the starting pitching has been all season, and they’ll look to continue to pass the baton the rest of the way out.
Summary of the Next Game
The Royals will try to keep the momentum going, as they send out their AL leader in innings pitched to the mound, Seth Lugo. An intriguing pitching matchup on tap Saturday as Shota Imanaga takes the hill for the Cubs. He has been at the top of the NL Rookie of the Year charts this year, after coming over from Japan this winter. He’s been phenomenal, with a 2.82 ERA making that the third best in the National League if he qualified. Two of the best starters in all of baseball to start the 2024 season, as well as two of the best free agent signings in the offseason face off. It will be one hell of a matchup, and hopefully Lugo can make fewer mistakes in this one. 6:10, Saturday, at Kauffman Stadium we’re in for a great one. Let’s hope the boys can continue to play some ball to wrap up the homestand.
