The Royals got almost nothing going at the plate Friday night, and Reid Detmers made sure they paid for it.
Kansas City’s only offense came from Michael Massey and Jac Caglianone, who collected the club’s lone two hits of the night - both singles - in a 1-0 loss to the Angels. Caglianone nearly cracked the game open in the first inning, but his drive to center was only a warning shot, barreled and the third-hardest hit ball in the game. According to Baseball Savant, it would have been a homer in 6/30 parks, including UNIQLO in Los Angeles.
Instead, Detmers took over and never let go. The left-hander carved through the Royals for 8 scoreless innings, piling up 11 strikeouts on just 92 pitches.
He didn’t issue a walk and allowed only those two singles. When a starter is that sharp, there’s not much room for debate.
Ben Joyce then slammed the door with his usual power. The Angels closer, throwing a fastball that easily tops 104 MPH, finished the ninth with a pair of strikeouts.
Randy Dobnak gave Kansas City a fighting chance on the other side. Working 5.2 scoreless innings, he leaned heavily on his changeup after realizing early that the sweeper wasn’t getting the job done.
The Angels couldn’t do much with the pitch, and Dobnak finished with six strikeouts, four hits allowed and two walks. He got some help behind him, too, and Dobnak Time continues unabated as the season winds down.
The Royals’ defense and bullpen kept the game tight until the eighth. Craig Kimbrel escaped the sixth with two runners aboard when Josh Lowe’s deep fly ball died just short of the track and settled into Starling Marte’s glove. Kimbrel got another break in the seventh, helped along by the marine layer and a strong play from Tyler Tolbert.
Nate Pearson handled the eighth, but his old control issues showed up again. He opened the inning with a walk to Wade Meckler, and Jose Siri came on to pinch-run and immediately stole second.
Pearson got Mike Trout to pop out, but then Nolan Schanuel ripped a ground ball at 102.6 off the bat that deflected off Caglianone’s glove into right field. That was the difference.
Pearson still recorded a strikeout and a groundout, but the winning run had already scored.
Caglianone’s fourth-inning single came off the bat at 105.5, the hardest-hit ball for either team all night. He also stole second moments later for his sixth steal of the season, and that was the first and only time a Royal advanced past first base. The Royals were held to one over the minimum, with Starling Marte’s double play after Massey’s fifth-inning single erasing that brief threat.
The loss snapped Kansas City’s run of beating the Angels in five straight meetings. The Royals can no longer finish this road trip at .500, but they still have a chance to take the series with a win Saturday.
Noah Cameron, carrying a 4.45 ERA and 4.13 SIERA, will start after an off-kilter outing in Los Angeles. The Angels will go with rookie right-hander Ryan Johnson, who owns a 6.71 ERA and 5.17 SIERA. First pitch in the Royals’ final West Coast game of the year is set for 3:07 PM Central Time.
In Other News...
Royals Cannot Ignore This Lineup Need If They Want To Contend
The Royals offseason checklist is already starting to take shape, and second base looks like one of the spots they cannot afford to leave untouched if they want to move back toward contention. Pitching will get plenty of attention, but the infield picture matters too, especially with Michael Massey serving as the primary option at second and showing improvement from a year ago without quite reaching the level a contender needs.
Massey has given Kansas City a clearer answer than it had before, but not necessarily the long-term one it wants. The organization has reason to keep evaluating how he fits best as it weighs upgrades for next season, and that opens the door to a bigger decision about whether he stays anchored at second or becomes part of a broader roster reshuffle aimed at raising the ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
Jac Caglianone May Be Giving The Royals What They Needed Most
Jac Caglianone kept giving the Royals the sort of middle-of-the-order production they have been searching for, and it came at the right time against the Angels. The first baseman delivered a two-run homer and later added an RBI single in Kansas Citys 7-6 win, helping snap a four-game skid while also extending his hitting streak to 12 games.
For a club trying to steady itself, the timing matters as much as the numbers, and Caglianones career-high five RBIs were a big part of why this one tilted the Royals way. Kansas City has now won four straight against Los Angeles, a small but meaningful run of success as the lineup starts to find some traction behind one of its most productive young bats. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Could Be Near A Huge Lineup Boost From Two Regulars
Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino took another meaningful step back toward Kansas City on Friday night, each getting a full game in on rehab assignments as the Royals keep waiting for two regulars to work their way back into the lineup. Garcia handled third base for Double-A Northwest Arkansas and found his timing at the plate with three hits, while Pasquantino was back at first base for Triple-A Omaha and went 1-for-4.
For a club that can use help wherever it can find it, the encouraging part is not just that both players are on the field again, but that they are being tested in game action rather than limited to lighter work. Garcia has been building back after a left hand muscle strain, and Pasquantino is working his way through recovery from right wrist soreness, leaving the Royals with one more stretch of patience before those lineup pieces come into focus. [Read more 🡒]