Maikel Garcia's Early Three-Run Homer Propels Royals Over Rockies, 10-1
The Kansas City Royals avoided a three-game road series sweep against the Colorado Rockies with a 10-1 victory on Sunday afternoon.
This certainly wasn't a game with offense spread across all nine innings, as nearly half of the Royals' runs took place early in the second frame. Kansas City first baseman Salvador Perez got his team's bats going that inning with a single and second baseman Michael Massey and catcher Freddy Fermin immediately followed it up with two zero-out singles of their own to give the Royals the game's first run. After left fielder MJ Melendez flew out, third baseman Maikel Garcia followed it with a three-run 382-foot homer to center to put Kansas City up 4-0.
The Royals were tasked with taking on a milestone for opposing right-hand pitcher Tanner Gordon, who was recently called up by the Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A) for his Major League debut. After the second frame, it appeared as though Gordon's first game wouldn't go as he dreamed of, but the 26-year-old kept his composure.
Kansas City recorded two singles for the rest of Gordon's time on the mound. However, his debut ended one out into the seventh inning after Melendez hit a 385-foot solo shot to center to increase the lead. In total, Gordon allowed five runs on eight hits, while throwing four strikeouts and zero walks on 78 pitches (62 strikes).
Unlike the Royals, Colorado's bats never really got hot thanks to Kansas City starting right-hander Brady Singer.
Through the first six innings were only two instances where Colorado had runners on the corners with one out, but Singer struck out the next two batters in the third inning and led Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings to ground into a double play in the fourth inning. Singer started to decline a bit in the seventh inning after allowing three singles, including a two-out RBI by left fielder Nolan Jones for the Rockies first run. Nevertheless, he did throw two strikeouts in the frame.
In seven innings, the 27-year-old allowed one run on six hits, while throwing seven strikeouts on 86 pitches (54 strikes).
Massey and Fermin were each able to add a run after a single and sacrifice fly respectively, which created a comfortable 7-1 margin. Witt and Pasquantino were the scorers, as they both singled earlier in the frame.
That said, the lead continued to grow from there, as in the ninth inning, after Garcia and pinch hitter Hunter Renfroe were both walked with one out, Witt proceeded to launch a three-run, 386-foot homer to left to make the score 10-1.
The Royals move their record up to 49-43 while Colorado slides down to 32-58.
