Image Credit: AP Photo / Charlie Riedel
Final Score: TB 2 | KC 4
Overall Record: 48-40
Winning/Losing Pitcher
W: Michael Wacha (5-6 | 3.74 ERA)
L: Ryan Pepiot (4-5 | 4.40 ERA)
Royals Player(s) of the Game
Michael Wacha: 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 8 K
Yep, you guessed it. Another Royals starting pitcher gets the nod as a Player of the Game. This is my 13th game recap this season. All but one of them has featured a pitcher as a Player of the Game. That’s just how good the Royals rotation has been. This time, it was Michael Wacha delivering a tremendous start and holding the Rays offense down for six innings. He had nearly twice as many strikeouts as he had hits and walks combined, and has now gone at least five innings in 13 of his 15 starts. He has also allowed less than three runs in 10 of those starts.
Bobby Witt Jr: 2-3, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB
The kid just knows how to play great baseball. Witt has now reached base multiple times in over half of the team’s games this season. That is a massive boost to the offense, especially with Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez behind him in the lineup. As long as Bobby keeps playing like he is, the Royals offense will be at least competent in support of the starting rotation.
Other Highlights
Vinnie added a pair of hits, while Salvy had a crucial two-run double in the seventh inning. However, it was Kyle Isbel that had the highlight of the night, making a huge leaping catch in the ninth inning to prevent the Rays from pulling within a run. Unlike last year, the Royals are finding ways to win games instead of finding ways to lose them.
Summary of the Next Game
Alec Marsh takes the mound in the rubber match against the Rays, facing off against Zach Eflin. The Guardians and Twins both lost on Wednesday, so the Royals will continue their pursuit of those two as the All-Star break approaches.
