Salvador Perez led the way for the Kansas City Royals as they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 12-8 in a high-scoring game. Perez had an outstanding performance, going 4 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs. The Royals’ offense was explosive early in the game, jumping out to a 9-0 lead against struggling Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright.
Bobby Witt Jr. also contributed to the Royals’ offensive barrage with a three-run homer, and Nelson Velazquez hit a home run in his first at-bat with the team. The Royals’ victory marked their seventh consecutive win at home.
Despite the Cardinals making a comeback attempt, with Willson Contreras hitting a three-run double and Tyler O’Neill adding a homer, they were unable to overcome the early deficit. The Cardinals lost for the third time this season when scoring eight or more runs.
Wainwright had a difficult outing, allowing eight runs and nine hits in just over one inning of work. He has struggled in his recent starts, posting an 0-6 record with a 14.87 ERA over his last seven outings.
Angel Zerpa picked up the win in relief for the Royals, despite giving up five runs in four innings.
Perez’s impressive performance included setting a record for the Royals’ all-time lead in interleague hits with 211.
The Royals and Cardinals will wrap up their two-game series, with the Cardinals sending Steven Matz to the mound to face Cole Ragans. After the series, the Royals will have a rare scheduled Sunday off, marking the first time in their 55-year history that they have a scheduled day off on a Sunday.
MLB Scoreboard for Friday, August 11, 2023:
New York (AL) 9, Miami 4
Washington 8, Oakland 2
Philadelphia 13, Minnesota 2
Chicago (NL) 6, Toronto 2
Milwaukee 7, Chicago (AL) 6 (10)
Kansas City 12, St. Louis 8
Texas 2, San Francisco 1
Tampa Bay 9, Cleveland 8
Boston 5, Detroit 2
Houston 11, Los Angeles (AL) 3
Seattle 9, Baltimore 2
Cincinnati 9, Pittsburgh 2
Atlanta 7, New York (NL) 0
San Diego 10, Arizona 5
Los Angeles (NL) 6, Colorado 1
On Friday, several developments occurred within the Kansas City Royals:
- Maikel Garcia’s Injury: Third baseman Maikel Garcia exited the game due to left upper body discomfort during the third inning. While he extended his hitting streak to 15 games earlier in the game, Garcia experienced soreness when he woke up that morning. Although the specifics of the injury are not yet known, the Royals replaced him with Matt Duffy and will reevaluate Garcia’s condition to determine the severity and treatment plan.
- Daniel Lynch IV’s Progress: Left-handed pitcher Daniel Lynch IV, who has been dealing with a left shoulder strain, has made progress in his recovery. Lynch, who has been on the injured list since July 19 and received a cortisone shot on July 28, was cleared to resume throwing. He played catch for the first time at Kauffman Stadium and reported feeling good. He is expected to continue his rehabilitation day by day and is anticipated to return to play in late September.
- Drew Waters and Nelson Velázquez: Outfielder Drew Waters was placed on the bereavement list, leading to the recall of outfielder Nelson Velázquez from Triple-A Omaha. The Royals acquired Velázquez on July 31 in a trade that sent Jose Cuas to the Cubs before the Trade Deadline. Although Velázquez had a challenging start with a 1-for-22 record at Omaha, he displayed an .802 OPS for Triple-A Iowa before the trade. He made his Major League debut with the Cubs in 2022 and is seen as a corner outfielder by the Royals. Velázquez is focusing on being more aggressive in the outfield and improving his contact at the plate. Waters is expected to return to the team after the scheduled off-day on Sunday.
