5-1 runaway! Ridiculously rapid Royals rally requires writer rewrite recap
A couple infielders, pictured below, laughing at me for needing to come up with a new headline.
In a game that looked doomed most of the way, the Kansas City Royals offense exploded late to rally past the Miami Marlins 5-1 this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.
The Marlins clearly came out with a game plan against Brady Singer: swing early and often. Jazz Chisholm Jr. swung at the first pitch of the game and laced it into right. He would be caught stealing, but Miami would threaten with two outs when Josh Bell walked and Jesús Sánchez knocked a first pitch single of his own. Singer managed to strike out Jake Burger to end the inning. They would break through with two outs in the second inning. Vidal Bruján laced a first pitch slider down the left field line for a double and Nick Fortes would follow with a blooper the other way to bring him home. Second inning aside, Singer was efficient, pounding the strike zone and allowing just one baserunner over the next five innings.
Meanwhile, the Royals had no answer for Marlins debutant Valente Bellozo and his 91-mph fastball. Their best scoring opportunity came in the second inning when, with two outs, Hunter Renfroe singled and Freddy Fermin hit an infield popup that nobody made the play on to put runners on second and third. Garrett Hampson struck out on three straight heaters, the last of which was at eye level, to end the frame. That inning aside, the Royals failed to mount a meaningful rally against Bellozo. Leaning mostly on his four-seamer and sweeper with an occasional changeup and cutter, Bellozo needed just 72 pitches to complete five scoreless innings.
In the sixth inning, Miami turned to their bullpen. Anthony Bender allowed a double to Vinnie Pasquantino but punched out the other three batters he faced to prevent any scoring. Renfroe picked up his second knock of the afternoon in the seventh when he singled off Andrew Nardi with two outs, but Fermin then struck out to strand him at first base.
Despite having retired 11 straight and sitting at just 92 pitches in the eighth inning, Matt Quatraro pulled Singer as the lineup turned over for the third time. Angel Zerpa set down the next two batters without incident.
The Marlins turned to Huascar Brazoban in the eighth inning, a man I had never heard of. It looked like he was on his way to yet another 1-2-3 inning after he quickly got the first two outs, but then Kansas City’s offense at last came to life. Bobby Witt Jr. crushed the first pitch he saw into the right-center gap and hustled into third with a triple. Pasquantino then watched a changeup go by before lacing a fastball into center field for a game-tying single. Not content with a tie, Quatraro summoned Dairon Blanco to pinch run. Blanco promptly swiped second before trading places with Perez when he rocketed a double into the left field corner. He would score as well when Nick Loftin dropped one into left to push the lead to 3-1. Melendez followed with the team’s fifth consecutive hit, knocking Brazoban from the game.
JT Chargois entered in his stead and promptly walked Renfroe to load the bases. With a chance to break the game open, Fermin delivered, lining a single to left to give Kansas City a 5-1 lead. Michael Massey, having led off the inning as a pinch-hitter, grounded out to end the frame, but the damage was already done. James McArthur came on for the bottom of the frame and rolled up three grounders to lock down the victory.
The win improves the Royals to 44-38 and secures the series victory over Miami. They will welcome the division-leading Cleveland Guardians to town for a four-game set beginning tomorrow.
Brady Singer: 7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Valente Bellozo: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
Hunter Renfroe: 2-3, BB
Vidal Bruján: 1-3, 2B, R