KANSAS CITY — The Royals’ velocity has formally put the league on discover.
After taking two of three from the Dodgers in July with sensible baserunning and small ball, Kansas Metropolis has established an identification that groups have bother containing, particularly when that features slowing down Dairon Blanco.
The speedy outfielder, who bunted in two runs through the Phillies’ collection on Kansas Metropolis’s newest street journey, precipitated havoc once more within the Royals’ 7-6 victory over the Mariners on Monday evening at Kauffman Stadium.
With the game-winning run on third and one out, Blanco laid down a textbook bunt up the first-base line. Pinch-runner Samad Taylor acquired an amazing break and sprinted dwelling, gliding over the plate with out a throw to safe the walk-off win.
“Simply how [Blanco] drew it up,” Royals supervisor Matt Quatraro mentioned. “[Mariners reliever Matt Brash] is throwing 100 miles per hour. It’s not straightforward to [bunt].”
Blanco had deliberate to bunt if he got here to the plate with fewer than two outs, and after Salvador Perez’s sac fly tied the sport and superior Taylor to 3rd, the chance arose.
“The state of affairs got here up, and I acquired it carried out, and we received the ballgame,” Blanco mentioned.
Kansas Metropolis’s velocity was no secret to the Mariners. Earlier than the sport, Mariners supervisor Scott Servais acknowledged that the Royals’ velocity and phone led Kansas Metropolis to a 10-6 file in its previous 16 video games. The Royals have the second-most stolen bases (116) within the American League behind Tampa Bay (130) after including one other on Monday.
“Kansas Metropolis has been taking part in significantly better of late. … They’re capable of put a number of stress on you,” Servais mentioned. “They’re very younger and athletic. They bunt, they put the ball in play and are tremendous aggressive on the bases, tremendous aggressive within the batter’s field.”
The Royals nearly did not want Blanco’s at-bat because of Brady Singer’s stellar outing. The 27-year-old took a no-hitter into the seventh earlier than Dominic Canzone ended the no-hit bid with a single to proper on a slider low and contained in the zone.
Singer isn’t any stranger to flirting with historical past. In simply his eighth huge league begin towards Cleveland on Sept. 10, 2020, he was 4 outs from Kansas Metropolis’s first no-hitter since 1991. On Monday towards the red-hot Mariners, Singer grew to become the primary Royal starter to take a no-no at the very least 7 2/3 innings since that outing towards Cleveland.
“You assume I’d have realized one thing [from the first time], making an attempt to get it carried out,” Singer joked. “However the pitches have been simply working. I used to be capable of throw them the place I wished to, and every thing had the precise motion to it.”
Singer drew 5 whiffs on 12 swings on his slider and struck out eight or extra batters for the fourth time this 12 months. It was the second time in his previous three outings that Singer went at the very least seven innings and allowed three or fewer hits.
“Every little thing felt good,” Singer mentioned. “I used to be capable of keep within the strike zone with my pitches. Sinker was good. I used to be capable of stick with it within the zone, which has been working for me. Simply staying on the assault.”
Regardless of permitting his first hit with two outs within the seventh, Singer closed the body after the subsequent batter. The righty sat down the primary 14 Mariners earlier than issuing a stroll to Cade Marlowe within the fifth to finish his good bid.
“I knew [about the no-hitter], however you by no means assume it’s going to occur, so I used to be simply making an attempt to go on the market and make pitches,” Singer mentioned. “Clearly, if it occurred, it occurred, however [I was] simply making an attempt to remain within the zone as a lot as I might and never fear about that. Simply attempt to get fast outs.”
The Royals got here dangerously near dropping a sport that Singer left with a 5-0 lead after the bullpen allowed Seattle to take the lead within the ninth.
“Unbelievable. The entire group was preventing the entire time,” Singer mentioned. “It’s one thing we’ve carried out all 12 months. It’s actually good to see tonight, and that’s what we’ve been doing — preventing till the final out.”