Big inning turns pitcher’s duel into 8-0 Royals laugher

The Royals put up a crooked number in the ninth inning.

The Royals and Tigers were engaged in a tense pitcher’s duel for eight innings before Kansas City broke the game wide open in the ninth inning leading to an 8-0 win in the series opener on Friday afternoon. The Royals got seven shutout innings from Seth Lugo, who lowered his season ERA to 1.66, allowing just three hits and recording a season-high nine strikeouts.

The Royals got on the board in the third inning when the bottom of the order came through. Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel each singled, and a walk to Maikel Garcia loaded the bases for Bobby Witt Jr. He didn’t unload them, but he got the job done with an RBI sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 Royals.

Seth Lugo retired the first six hitters he faced before walking Javier Baez. After striking out Jake Rogers, Parker Meadows took Lugo deep for what looked like a two-run home run. But right fielder Adam Frazier went over the fence to rob Meadows, then had the wherewithal to throw to first to double off Baez, ending the inning. It was the second defensive highlight in the Royals outfield in as many days, after yesterday’s incredible catch by Kyle Isbel.

The Tigers put forth their best scoring opportunity in the fourth. With one out, Mark Canha and Spencer Torkelson singled, but Lugo got Kerry Carpenter and Matt Vierling each to line out on balls with expected batting averages well over .400, keeping the goose eggs on the board.

The Royals had to escape another jam in the eighth when Maikel Garcia fielded a grounder hit by Riley Greene and his throw bounced and was not fielded cleanly by first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino. Mark Canha singled to put two runners on with two outs, but reliever John Schreiber struck out Spencer Torkelson to end the threat.

Royals poured on insurance in the ninth thanks to a lack of command from Tigers reliever Tyler Holton. Salvador Perez singled to right, then Hunter Renfroe hit one down the third base line for an infield single. Holton walked Nelson Velázquez to load the bases, then hit Frazier to force in a run, then plunked Isbel to score another run. Maikel Garcia chopped one in the hole at deep short off Will Vest for a two-run single, then Bobby Witt Jr. drove home two more with a triple.

Vinnie Pasquantino’s fly ball knocked him home to make it a seven-run inning. The Royals managed eight runs on just seven hits. They had their fourth 7+ run inning of the season - the rest of baseball has just eight, according to Nick Kappel.

The Royals improve to 17-10 and take on the Tigers again tomorrow evening at 5:10 CT with Brady Singer scheduled to face Casey Mize.