Royals salvage weekend series with solid 8-4 win over AL best Tampa Bay

Bobby Witt Jr. played a crucial role in the Kansas City Royals’ 8-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. Witt contributed a home run and a triple, driving in three runs. He and Drew Waters made history as the first Royals teammates to each hit a triple and a home run in the same game. The game lasted just 1 hour and 54 minutes, with Brady Singer securing the win for the Royals.

Singer pitched a solid game, allowing four runs and seven hits over a season-high eight innings. He relied on his effective slider and changeup to keep the Rays’ hitters off balance. The early lead provided Singer with confidence, and he attacked the strike zone, throwing strikes and inducing ground balls.

On the other side, Zach Eflin struggled for the Rays, giving up five runs and seven hits in just three innings of work. The Royals capitalized on Eflin’s struggles, with seven of their first 11 batters recording hits.

The Royals continued to build their lead, taking a commanding 7-0 advantage before the Rays mounted a comeback with some late home runs.

The win improved the Royals’ record to 27-67, which is the second-worst in the major leagues, just ahead of the Oakland Athletics. The loss snapped the Rays’ three-game winning streak.

In Monday night’s action, the Rays will send Shane McClanahan to the mound against the Texas Rangers’ Dane Dunning. The Tigers will face the Royals, with Matt Manning pitching against Jordan Lyles.

On Sunday afternoon, Salvador Perez, the Kansas City Royals’ catcher, left the game with left hamstring discomfort. Perez had scored a run in the first inning but limped to the dugout after sliding safely into home. Freddy Fermin replaced him as the catcher in the following inning. Perez was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and further testing was scheduled to determine the severity of the injury.

In another move, the Royals recalled right-handed pitcher Max Castillo from Triple-A Omaha. This decision was made after the team’s doubleheader against the Rays on Saturday. Castillo has a 4.74 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts) in Omaha this season. He provides the Royals with an additional arm in the bullpen, capable of providing length or pitching as a one-inning reliever if needed.

Collin Snider, who allowed three runs in the eighth inning of Game 1 on Saturday, was optioned back to Triple-A Omaha. Snider struggled with control, issuing three consecutive walks to start his outing, resulting in all three runners scoring.

Furthermore, left-handed pitcher Cole Ragans, who started Game 2 of the doubleheader as the 27th man, was returned to Triple-A Omaha. Since he was not optioned, Ragans could potentially return to the major leagues without having to wait 15 days if the Royals decide to do so.

The Royals first-round draft pick, high-school catcher Blake Mitchell, was at Kauffman Stadium this weekend after signing with Kansas City.  The Royals introduced Mitchell on Saturday morning after inking him to a professional contract. Financials were not announced by the club, but a source told MLB.com that Mitchell signed for $4.9 million, well under the No. 8 pick slot value of $5,980,100. The Royals can use that extra $1 million when signing their other Draft picks, most of whom are on their way to Arizona to make it official and begin minicamp.

The expectation is the Royals will sign most of their ‘23 selections, although 19th-rounder Donovan LaSalle out of Barbe (La.) High School and 20th-rounder Blake Wilson out of Santa Margarita (Calif.) HS will likely honor their college commitments to Oklahoma State and Washington, respectively. In Mitchell, the Royals got what was widely considered the best prep catcher in the Draft, a lefty who hits for average and power and possesses a plus-plus arm — one that reached 97 mph on the mound for Sinton (Texas) High School and the U.S. junior team. He led Sinton to the Texas 4-A state title as a junior and was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in both 2022 and ‘23. 

Jack Flaherty led the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday, securing his fourth consecutive win. Flaherty pitched six innings, allowing three runs, three hits, and three walks while striking out seven. This is the first time Flaherty has won four starts in a row since May 2021. He showcased improved command of his fastball and executed his pitches effectively.

The Cardinals’ offense was led by Paul Goldschmidt, who hit a two-run home run, and Nolan Gorman, who contributed three hits and two RBIs. Andrew Knizner, Brendan Donovan, and Lars Nootbaar also drove in runs for St. Louis.

Josiah Gray started on the mound for the Nationals but struggled, giving up four runs and ten hits over five innings. Keibert Ruiz homered to end Flaherty’s scoreless streak, and Dominic Smith added a two-run double for Washington.

Despite the win, the Cardinals remain at the bottom of the NL Central standings with a record of 40-53. However, they are determined to string together wins and make a push in the second half of the season.

In upcoming games, the Nationals will face the Chicago Cubs, with MacKenzie Gore set to start. The Cardinals will host the Miami Marlins, with Miles Mikolas taking the mound.

Here are the MLB scores from Saturday, July 15, and Sunday, July 16, 2023: 

Saturday, 7/15/23: 

Tampa Bay 6, Kansas City 1 (Game 1) 

Philadelphia 6, San Diego 4 (Game 1)

Texas 2, Cleveland 0

Washington 7, St. Louis 5 (10) (Game 1)

Minnesota 10, Oakland 7

San Francisco 3, Pittsburgh 1

Tampa Bay 4, Kansas City 2 (Game 2) 

Philadelphia 9, San Diego 4 (Game 2)

Los Angeles (AL) 13, Houston 12 (10)

Milwaukee 3, Cincinnati 0

Detroit 6, Seattle 0 

Los Angeles (NL) 5, New York (NL) 1

Chicago (NL) 10, Boston 4

St. Louis 9, Washington 6 (Game 2) 

Toronto 5, Arizona 2

Baltimore 6, Miami 5

Chicago (AL) 6, Atlanta 5

New York (AL) 6, Colorado 3

Sunday, 7/16/23: 

Kansas City 8, Tampa Bay 4

San Francisco 8, Pittsburgh 4 (10) 

Texas 6, Cleveland 5

Philadelphia 7, San Diego 6 (12) 

Milwaukee 4, Cincinnati 3

Minnesota 5, Oakland 4

St. Louis 8, Washington 4

Seattle 2, Detroit 0

New York (NL) 2, Los Angeles (NL) 1 (10)

Houston 9, Los Angeles (AL) 8

Baltimore 5, Miami 4

Chicago (AL) 8, Atlanta 1

Toronto 7, Arizona 5

Boston 11, Chicago (NL) 5

Colorado 8, New York (AL) 7 (11)