Royals Fall Short in 2-1 Nail-biter Against Marlins: Pitching Duel Ends in Heartbreak

With the loss, Kansas City has dropped 12 out of their last 16 games.

Jun 25, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Nick Gordon (1) is safe at first base after colliding with Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (9) in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. / © Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

In a tightly contested matchup, the Miami Marlins edged out the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night with a final score of 2-1. The game was characterized by strong pitching performances from both teams, with Seth Lugo starting for the Royals and Yonny Chirinos getting the nod for the Marlins.

The Royals struck first in the opening inning when Vinnie Pasquantino delivered an RBI single, driving in Maikel Garcia who had reached base on a walk and then showcased his speed by stealing second and third. However, that would be the extent of Kansas City's scoring as they struggled to capitalize on opportunities throughout the game.

Miami tied the game in the seventh inning when Nick Gordon's single brought home Otto Lopez, who had doubled earlier in the inning. They took the lead shortly after when a throwing error by Royals pitcher Will Smith allowed Gordon to score and put the Marlins ahead 2-1. This proved to be enough as the Royals failed to mount a comeback in the final innings.

Pitching dominated the game, with Seth Lugo pitching six solid innings for the Royals, allowing only two hits and one earned run while striking out eight. However, the Marlins' bullpen, led by A.J. Puk and Tanner Scott, held the Royals scoreless over the final three innings to secure the win. Puk, who pitched 1.1 innings of hitless relief, earned the win, while Scott notched his 10th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

How It Happened...

FINAL SCORE — Marlins 2, Royals 1.

Ninth Inning:

• In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Royals aimed to tie or win the game. Salvador Perez started with a single on a line drive to center field, bringing pinch-runner Dairon Blanco into the game. Vinnie Pasquantino followed with a flyout to center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for the first out. Nick Loftin, pinch-hitting for Michael Massey, then lined out to shortstop Tim Anderson for the second out. With two outs and Blanco on first, Garrett Hampson grounded out to first baseman Jake Burger, securing the win for the Marlins as Tanner Scott closed out the game. FINAL: Marlins 2, Royals 1.

Eighth Inning:

• Entering the top of the eighth, Josh Bell started by flying out to right fielder Hunter Renfroe for the first out. Jesús Sánchez then grounded out to second baseman Maikel Garcia, bringing up Jake Burger, who doubled on a line drive to center field. A pitching change saw Nick Anderson replace Will Smith. Otto Lopez grounded out to pitcher Nick Anderson, who threw to first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino to retire the side, keeping the score 2-1 in favor of the Marlins.

• In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Royals looked to mount a comeback. Kyle Isbel led off with a groundout to first baseman Jake Burger for the first out. Maikel Garcia followed suit, grounding out to second baseman Otto Lopez, making it two quick outs. Bobby Witt Jr. then struck out swinging to end the inning, with the Royals still trailing the Marlins 2-1.

Seventh Inning:

• In the top of the seventh inning, the Marlins managed to take the lead. Jake Burger started the inning by striking out swinging for the first out. Otto Lopez then doubled to left field, deflected by third baseman CJ Alexander, and advanced to third on Tim Anderson's groundout to second baseman Maikel Garcia. Nick Gordon followed with a game-tying single to second baseman Maikel Garcia, bringing Otto Lopez home and tying the game at 1-1. After an injury delay, Ali Sánchez singled to left fielder MJ Melendez, moving Gordon to second. A pitching change brought in Will Smith to replace Carlos Hernández. Jazz Chisholm Jr. then reached on a throwing error by pitcher Will Smith, allowing Nick Gordon to score and Ali Sánchez to advance to third, giving the Marlins a 2-1 lead. Jazz Chisholm Jr. stole second base, putting runners on second and third, but Bryan De La Cruz flew out to right fielder Hunter Renfroe to end the inning.

• In the Royals' half of the seventh inning, Garrett Hampson, pinch-hitting for MJ Melendez, popped out to first baseman Josh Bell in foul territory for the first out. Hunter Renfroe grounded out to second baseman Otto Lopez for the second out. A pitching change brought in Huascar Brazoban to replace A. J. Puk. CJ Alexander then struck out swinging to end the inning, leaving the Royals trailing. Marlins 2, Royals 1.

Sixth Inning:

• In the top of the sixth inning, the Marlins had some action on the bases but couldn't bring anyone home. Ali Sánchez got things started with a walk, followed by Jazz Chisholm Jr. striking out swinging for the first out. Bryan De La Cruz then flew out to left fielder MJ Melendez for the second out. Josh Bell managed to keep the inning alive with a sharp line drive single to right fielder Hunter Renfroe, moving Sánchez to second. However, Jesús Sánchez struck out swinging to end the inning, leaving runners on first and second.

• The Royals couldn't muster any runs in their half of the sixth inning either. Vinnie Pasquantino led off with a strikeout on a foul tip. Salvador Perez followed with a sharp lineout to left fielder Nick Gordon. Michael Massey then ended the inning by striking out swinging. The Marlins' Yonny Chirinos was replaced by A. J. Puk to face the Royals' batters.

Fifth Inning:

• The Marlins couldn't find their rhythm in the fifth inning. Jake Burger popped out to third baseman CJ Alexander for the first out. Otto Lopez then managed a single on a ground ball to Alexander. Lopez showed some speed by stealing second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Seth Lugo. Despite this, the Marlins couldn't capitalize as Tim Anderson struck out swinging, leaving Lopez stranded on third. Nick Gordon then ended the inning with a flyout to right fielder Hunter Renfroe.

• The Royals also struggled at the plate in their half of the fifth inning. Kyle Isbel started by grounding out to second baseman Otto Lopez, who made the throw to first baseman Josh Bell for the out. Maikel Garcia followed, striking out swinging for the second out. Bobby Witt Jr. ended the inning in similar fashion, striking out swinging as well, sending the game to the sixth inning.

Fourth Inning:

• The Marlins struggled again in the fourth inning. Bryan De La Cruz started off by grounding out to third baseman CJ Alexander, who made a solid throw to first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino for the out. Josh Bell followed with a sharp lineout to center fielder Kyle Isbel, making it two outs quickly. Jesús Sánchez ended the inning by striking out, adding another zero to the scoreboard for Miami.

• The Royals had a bit more action in their half of the inning. Salvador Perez popped out in foul territory to first baseman Josh Bell, making the first out. Michael Massey then doubled (7) on a fly ball to left fielder Nick Gordon, putting a runner in scoring position. MJ Melendez followed with a walk, putting runners on first and second. After a mound visit, Hunter Renfroe struck out swinging for the second out. CJ Alexander ended the inning by grounding out to third baseman Jake Burger, who threw to first baseman Josh Bell for the final out, leaving two Royals stranded.

Third Inning:

• The Royals had some action in their half of the third. Kyle Isbel started off by flying out to left fielder Nick Gordon for the first out. Maikel Garcia managed to draw a walk, giving Kansas City a baserunner. Bobby Witt Jr. then lined a double (22) to right fielder Bryan De La Cruz, but in a dramatic play, Garcia was thrown out at home. Witt Jr. advanced to third on the play. Vinnie Pasquantino ended the inning by grounding out to first baseman Josh Bell, who flipped it to pitcher Yonny Chirinos covering first for the third out.

• The Marlins couldn't get much going in their half of the third inning. Nick Gordon struck out swinging for the first out. Ali Sánchez then grounded out to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who made a strong throw to first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino for the second out. Jazz Chisholm Jr. ended the inning by grounding out softly to pitcher Seth Lugo, who tossed it to Pasquantino for the final out.

Second Inning:

• The second inning began with Jesús Sánchez striking out looking for the first out. Jake Burger then managed to draw a walk, but Otto Lopez grounded into a force out, with Bobby Witt Jr. throwing to Maikel Garcia at second to get Burger for the second out. Tim Anderson then struck out looking, leaving Lopez stranded at first and ending the inning.

• The Royals had a tough second inning at the plate. MJ Melendez popped out to third baseman Jake Burger for the first out, followed by Hunter Renfroe popping out to Burger in foul territory for the second out. CJ Alexander ended the inning by flying out to center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., resulting in a quick and scoreless frame for Kansas City.

First Inning:

• The Royals started their first inning with a walk by Maikel Garcia. However, Bobby Witt Jr. was called out on strikes for the first out. Garcia then showcased his speed by stealing both second and third base. Vinnie Pasquantino capitalized on Garcia's efforts by hitting an RBI single to center field, allowing Garcia to score and putting the Royals up 1-0. Following this, Salvador Perez lined out sharply to left fielder Nick Gordon for the second out. The inning concluded with Michael Massey striking out swinging, leaving Pasquantino on first base and ending the inning. Royals 1, Marlins 0.

• The top of the first inning saw Josh Bell lining out to right fielder Hunter Renfroe for the third out. Before that, Bryan De La Cruz flew out to Hunter Renfroe, making it two outs. The inning started with Jazz Chisholm Jr. striking out swinging, setting the tone for a quick three-up, three-down inning.

Pregame:

First pitch is slated for 7:10 p.m. CTD.

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