Royals shut out again, swept by Rangers in 4-0 loss
The scoreless streak is at 22 innings.
The Royals were shut out in back-to-back games, running their scoreless streak to 22 innings as they fell to the Rangers 4-0. It is the first time the Royals have been swept this year, and they end their road trip having dropped seven of nine games.
Royals starting pitcher Alec Marsh worked around a baserunner in each of the first three innings without any trouble, but a leadoff walk in the fourth would lead to a big inning. Adolis Garcia got the free pass, and Nathaniel Lowe followed up with an infield single. Rookie Wyatt Langford, who is heating up lately, doubled Garcia home to put the Rangers on the board. Marsh got the next two hitters out and almost escaped further trouble, but Leody Taveras singled home two more runners to make it 3-0 Rangers.
Meanwhile, future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer was brilliant despite making his first start of the season after missing the first two and a half months due to an in injury. He retired the first 13 hitters he faced, and allowed only an MJ Melendez double as the only baserunner in five innings of work.
Marsh worked around some trouble in the fifth and sixth before exiting after 5 2⁄3 innings, having allowed eight hits and three runs, with two walks and four strikeouts.
Sam Long gave up a home run to Josh Smith in the seventh to make it 4-0, far more than the offense could overcome. The Royals managed just two hits and one walk, and lost one baserunner on a double play, and another on a caught stealing.
The Royals fall to 42-37 on the year and have lost 18 of their last 26. They’ll head home for a ten-game homestand beginning tomorrow night against the Marlins.