Kauffman Stadium gave Denny Matthews his moment Friday night, and the game around it delivered plenty of drama before the Guardians pulled away late.
Matthews, 83, was honored as he called his 8,000th career game, a milestone that fit the Royals broadcaster’s place in franchise history. Kansas City marked the occasion with large signage, carried his radio call on the Royals.TV telecast and had the dugout salute him with applause and a tip of the cap in the fifth inning.
For 58 years, Matthews has been the familiar voice behind Royals baseball. He opened the doors to Kauffman Stadium in 1973 and later narrated the club’s 1985 and 2015 World Series titles.
He’s been there for George Brett’s pine tar moment, Bo Jackson’s wall-climbing catches and Bobby Witt Jr.’s inside-the-park home run. On Friday, the milestone got its proper spotlight.
The game itself looked like a fitting old-school Central Division scrap for most of the night. Kansas City and Cleveland traded punches early, then the Guardians broke it open with five runs in the ninth and left with a 12-9 win.
Noah Cameron took the loss after Cleveland jumped on the Royals’ left-hander for seven runs, six earned, over five innings. Steven Kwan drew a walk to open the game, and Angel Martinez delivered the big blow in the first with a two-run single to put Cleveland ahead quickly.
The Royals answered right away. Bobby Witt Jr. walked, Jac Caglianone drove him in with an RBI double, and Kansas City was on the board.
But Caglianone later got caught between third and home, part of a rough night on the bases for the Royals. He was also tagged out after drifting too far off second, and Michael Massey was thrown out trying to get back to first in the eighth.
Even with the mistakes, Kansas City had enough power to stay in it, and Carter Jensen was the main reason. The Kansas City native, who grew up listening to Matthews, turned in the biggest night of his young career. He launched a 389-foot homer against Gavin Williams in the second, then tied the game again with a blast off Hunter Gaddis in the eighth.
That second homer put Jensen ahead of Hall of Famer Mike Piazza for the most extra-base hits by a rookie catcher, with 62. He finished 2-for-4 with five RBIs, and Caglianone added two RBIs of his own as the Royals’ rookies carried much of the offense.
Salvador Perez also went deep with a two-run homer, but Kansas City couldn’t hold the line in the ninth. Nate Pearson walked three batters and issued the go-ahead run before Nolan Hoffman came in and walked in two more with the bases loaded. By the end of the inning, Cleveland had put up five and slammed the door.
The Royals fell to 68-92 and need to win their final two games to get to 70 victories. Cleveland, now 84-77, remains in the race with the Chicago White Sox for the AL Central title, and both teams won Friday.
Kansas City will send Michael Wacha, 9-9 with a 3.33 ERA, to the mound Saturday night against Tanner Bibee, 6-15 with a 4.35 ERA. Wacha needs 5 2/3 innings to reach 200 innings for the season.
First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. Central Time at The K.
In Other News...
Carter Jensen Is Turning Royals Rookie Of The Year Talk Real
Carter Jensen has gone from intriguing call-up to one of the most compelling stories on the Royals roster, and the production has been loud enough to make the Rookie of the Year conversation feel more and more legitimate. The rookie catcher has piled up milestones at a pace that is rare for any player, let alone one handling the demands of catching while also spending time in the leadoff spot.
Jensen has already set the franchise mark for home runs by a rookie and moved past Mike Piazza for the most extra-base hits by a rookie catcher since 1947, all while leading Kansas City in RBIs. He also sits near the top of the American League rookie leaderboard in several offensive categories, which leaves the Royals with a pretty interesting question as the season goes on: how far can this kind of two-way workload carry him, and how much noise can he make in the awards race if it keeps up? [Read more 🡒]
Royals Final Weekend Has One Breakout Story Fans Need To See
Noah Camerons last start of the year was a rough one, with Cleveland tagging him for seven runs, six earned, over five innings, but the Royals still had plenty else to talk about in the final weekend. Carter Jensen, meanwhile, turned the spotlight onto himself with a two-homer showing that added to a breakout stretch and put his name in the record book, with franchise and MLB rookie catcher marks for extra-base hits and home runs now attached to the young backstop.
The broader weekend also carried plenty of significance beyond the box score. Denny Matthews is set to call his 8,000th game behind the Royals microphone, a staggering milestone for a voice that has defined the franchise for generations, and Bobby Witt Jr. was named the clubs nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, a reminder that the seasons final chapter still has room for both achievement and recognition. [Read more 🡒]
Bobby Witt Jr. Has An MVP Problem Royals Fans Will Hate
Bobby Witt Jr. has put together the kind of season that usually puts a player squarely in the MVP conversation, with his value showing up in every corner of the game and his WAR placing him among the American Leagues best. For Royals fans, though, the frustration is familiar: the award race is never just about how good a player looks in isolation, and Witts brilliance has been unfolding on a team that has not stayed in the playoff picture.
The problem is the same one that tends to haunt players in Kansas City and elsewhere when the MVP discussion gets serious. Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are again setting the standard at the top of the ballot, and history usually favors either the player with the louder statistical edge or the one attached to more team success. Witt has done his part, but the path to the trophy is crowded, and it leaves the Royals waiting for the broader recognition his season deserves. [Read more 🡒]