The Royals faced a tough outing in the final game of their series against the Minnesota Twins, despite a promising start from Cole Ragans. It was the quiet bats that ultimately let them down.
Things got interesting in the later innings. Down 2-0, Maikel Garcia sparked some hope with a single in the eighth, followed by Bobby Witt Jr. with another hit.
With runners on first and third and no outs, Vinnie Pasquantino stepped up. He managed to drive in Garcia with a sacrifice fly, but that was as far as the rally went.
Salvador Perez grounded out, and a close play at second saw Bob thrown out. Pinch-runner Tolbert stole second but was left stranded as Jac Caglianone struggled against Taylor Rogers, ending the threat.
The Royals had cut the lead to one, but the bullpen needed to hold the line. Enter Steven Cruz, who unfortunately couldn't keep it close. Despite his previous reliability, Cruz gave up three solo homers in the ninth, including back-to-back shots by Kody Clemens and Josh Bell, extending the Twins' lead to 5-1.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Royals managed to get two runners on, but a Lane Thomas double play and a strikeout by Kyle Isbel ended any hopes of a comeback.
On a brighter note, Cole Ragans delivered an impressive performance, pitching six innings without allowing an earned run, striking out eight, and walking just one. Matt Strahm also contributed a solid inning of relief.
However, the bullpen's struggles were evident. Aside from Cruz's tough outing, John Schrieber labored through the eighth, needing 27 pitches to finish the inning while allowing a run.
A small silver lining was Carter Jensen's late-game appearance, suggesting he isn’t dealing with any injury despite being scratched from the start.
Overall, while there were some bright spots, the Royals' bullpen issues remain a concern as they move forward.