Maikel Garcia got a little bit of both Friday night in Pittsburgh: a lift from a big swing and a reminder of how strange this season has been.
The Royals third baseman, back in the lineup after a 21-game absence, delivered one of Kansas City’s best moments in an 8-5 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park. Garcia lined a two-run double in the third inning to help push the Royals in front 4-0 against reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.
It was a welcome jolt for Garcia, who has been limited to 76 games this year because of a partial tear of his left hamstring. He returned from the injured list Tuesday, and after the game he sounded relieved just to be back on the field.
“I didn’t think I might play again this year, so I’m thankful,” Garcia said following Friday night’s 8-5 loss to the Pirates to open a three-game series at PNC Park. “I just wish there were more games left.”
That sense of unfinished business has hung over Garcia’s season. After making his first All-Star Game appearance last year, he signed a five-year, $57.5 million extension that runs through 2030 and includes a club option for ‘31. This year, though, the production has been muted: he is hitting .262/.318/.378 with three home runs.
Still, the bat showed up at the right time Friday, even if Kansas City couldn’t hang on. The Royals dropped their 12th game in their last 17, despite home runs from Vinnie Pasquantino and Michael Massey.
“We think the world of Mikey,” manager Matt Quatraro said of Garcia. “We committed a lot of years and a lot of money to him, because we think he’s a really good player who can help us win. Getting him back on the field is important for us, and it’s good for him, too.
“He probably thought his season was over, but he worked very hard through the rehab process to get back. And he got a big hit in a big spot.”
Garcia said he takes extra satisfaction in facing top-level pitching, and Friday’s matchup fit the bill.
“I like to face the best pitchers,” Garcia said with a smile. “It makes me fight that much harder.
It felt really good to get a big hit there with a couple of guys on base. It’s been a tough year for me personally, but we have come back here, we want to finish the season healthy, and we want to help the team win some games.
I want to go home for the winter with a good feeling.”
The Royals’ early cushion didn’t hold, and Pittsburgh eventually turned the game around against the bullpen. Kansas City still has eight games left, but Garcia’s return gives the club at least one late-season bright spot to point to.
Randy Dobnak had his own emotional night in front of a crowd packed with family and friends. The right-hander, who grew up in suburban South Park, Pa., made just the second appearance of his career at PNC Park.
His previous outing there came in 2020 with the Twins, when no fans were allowed because of the pandemic. This time, he estimated there were at least 200 relatives and friends in the stands, and said he had attended about 300 games at the ballpark over the years.
“This was really kind of special,” Dobnak said. “After I threw my last warm-up pitch, I stood there on the mound and took it all in.
Growing up, this was the place I always wanted to be. I caught myself almost getting a little bit emotional out there.”
Then came the reality of the night.
“That quickly changed when I threw my first pitch and [Konnor] Griffin singled right back up the middle,” he said.
Dobnak didn’t make it through the fourth, lasting 3 2/3 innings while allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout. He departed with Kansas City ahead 5-3, but the Pirates kept coming.
Spencer Horwitz delivered the decisive blow with a two-run single off Nate Pearson in a three-run seventh inning that flipped a 5-5 game. Quatraro pointed to Dobnak’s pitch execution, especially early in counts, as part of the problem.
“I think the biggest thing was first-pitch strikes with Randy,” Quatraro said. “It was an interesting game for him.
There were four hits down the third-base line from a left-handed hitter and a couple of infield hits. He had a lot of traffic to deal with.”
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