Royals reach double digits - for losses in a row, 0-3 to Angels
The Royals have now reached a new low as they lost their tenth game in a row to the Los Angeles Angels. The team only has 18 wins, which means over their past 10 games they’ve lost 56% of the games they’ve won for the entire season. If they can lose eight more games in this stretch they will have managed to lose as many consecutive games as they have individual wins over the course of a half-season of baseball. It’s not the good kind, but it’s definitely some kind of impressive.
If you’re looking for silver linings there continued to be very, very few. Brady Singer pitched 5.1 innings and allowed two runs while striking out five and walking only two. He did allow eight hits which means his WHIP was still dangerously close to two and he was probably pretty dang lucky.
On the other hand, Austin Cox continued his scoreless appearance streak to start his career. He pitched two innings and struck out three while walking only one. Not only has he still not allowed a run in his short career, but he also hasn’t allowed a hit. It’s enough to make you wonder why the Royals seem unwilling to even consider giving him a start while their rotation crumbles around them due to injury and ineffectiveness.
Speaking of injured starters, Singer gave the team a scare in the sixth inning when he stumbled while throwing his first pitch. He convinced Manager Matt Quatraro to keep him in the game but allowed hits to three of the next four batters and was removed for Carlos Hernández who continued his recent slide by allowing a run to score in 1.1 innings pitched.
While Singer alone gave up eight hits to his opponents, the Royals managed a measly four hits all night long. The Royals put runners on first and second with no outs to start both the first and fifth innings but Edward Olivares and Bobby Witt Jr. immediately grounded into respective double plays to effectively end those threats before MJ Melendez struck out to officially end the first and Olivares popped out to right in the fifth.
Melendez gets to be the face of despair on tonight’s recap because he went 0-for-4 while striking out twice as he batted cleanup thanks to the recent injuries of Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez. Overall the team was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, continuing their historic pace in futility during those situations.
I can’t be arsed to wait around for Q to announce who the opener will be tomorrow. Considering who pitched tonight it will likely be Nick Wittgren or Jackson Kowar, unless he decides to bite the bullet and just let Mike Mayers have the first inning. The Angels will ask journeyman Griffin Canning to toe the slab.
Source: Royals Review
