MJ Melendez plays hero in Royals 3-2 comeback victory over Tigers

The Royals road finale reminds them that there is no place like home.

In an attempt to bounce back from their first walk-off defeat since April 3, the Kansas City Royals aimed for a series victory against the Detroit Tigers. A win Sunday would also net a Kansas City season series win over Detroit, the seventh time in the past 10 seasons. Growing up and learning more about baseball during the dominant Detroit days, seeing that quiet run of success gives me some joy.

This game unfolded as a tense, low-scoring affair with minimal thrills. The first half of the game, featuring quality pitching from veteran Michael Wacha and quiet Royals bats, doesn’t matter as much in retrospect. Had the Royals lost, the focus would have shifted to Kansas City’s mere two hits in the initial five innings. But let’s follow the ramp-up towards victory.

A two-out Tigers rally in the fifth once again put runs on the board and Wacha in a jam. A leadoff walk to the forgotten man, Javier Báez, put Detroit’s second run on the board, but the veteran starter wasn’t out of the woods yet. Following a single and a walk, utilityman Zach McKinstry stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded. Luckily, Wacha induced a quick groundout on a changeup to escape the inning.

The Royals bats began stirring in the top of the sixth, with singles from Pasquantino and Renfroe. The newly acquired Paul DeJong came to the plate as the go-ahead run with two outs and two men on but struck out on three pitches to end the rally hopes.

Yet again, the Tigers had a prime opportunity to extend their lead in the sixth. Wacha’s fourth walk and another single put men on the corners with one out. Thankfully, Wacha got the groundball he needed, perfect for a 4-6-3 double play and ending the scoring threat.

Kansas City went 1-2-3 to start the seventh inning, including a frustrating strikeout from Dairon Blanco. Detroit went on to have a quiet seventh inning themselves, only notching one hit against veteran lefty Will Smith. Renfroe made a pair of good defensive plays for outs, while Smith struck out outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy.

Kansas City worsened its reputation against debuting pitchers, this time struggling against Detroit’s Brant Hurter. He came from Triple-A Toledo with a 2-4 record and 5.80 ERA in 2024 but looked like a season star against the Royals.

Kansas City fans got their hopes up once again to start the eighth inning. Witt reached first on a single to left, and Pasquantino sought his 13th RBI on the road trip. Unfortunately, he hit into a forceout, and then Perez lined out to end any scoring hopes.

Chris Stratton one-upped Smith’s performance with a 1-2-3 inning himself and a strikeout. Retiring the Tigers’ 6-7-8 at least kept Kansas City in the game heading into the top of the ninth.

Those hopes had life early, thanks to a leadoff single by Hunter Renfroe, then another from Freddy Fermin. Adam Frazier nearly broke the scoreless slump with a deep, deep foul ball to right field but settled for a lineout that advanced Renfroe to third base.

MJ Melendez presents: The Slammening

It didn’t matter, thanks to Melendez's three-run “Jimmy Jack,” according to announcer Rex Hudler.

The lefty came to the plate with no pinch hits in his young career, much less a pinch-hit home run. Melendez took the opportunity and remind fans of that power that made him such a tantalizing prospect years ago. He deposited his three-run homer over the right field fence, a homer in 29 of 30 MLB stadiums.

My nerves ratcheted up after seeing Hunter Harvey warming up in the bullpen, though.

The newly acquired reliever came to the mound with a one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth. A dominant strikeout started the inning off well, but a single from Wenceel Pérez put the winning run on base. Then, Witt flashed the leather in a game-saving play, catching a line drive from Colt Keith, then throwing out Perez at first for the unconventional double play. That is all she wrote, Kansas City steals a game in Detroit and the series win.

Wacha had some rough points, but the ultimate line showed a quality start. His four walks are his second-most in 2024, but limiting the Tigers to two runs through six innings kept the Royals firmly in this game.

Again, we see the value of quality starting pitching.

Kansas City heads back to Kauffman Stadium for a three-game set against the Boston Red Sox. That series has extreme implications for the Wild Card race, with the Royals in the third Wild Card spot and the Red Sox on their heels.