No Kansas City Royals comeback this time. Ohtani, Trout blasts power Angels to 5-2 win
For evidence of the hitters’ advantage when facing a starting pitcher for the third time, see Royals vs. Angels on Sunday.
Zack Greinke was pitching well and owned a lead when the Angels’ top of the order came to bat in the fifth. Double by Taylor Ward, home run by Shohei Ohtani, homer by Mike Trout ... and that was that as the Angels went on to a 5-2 triumph.
“Third time through the order got me,’ Greinke said. “I’ve been struggling with that. I’ve got figure out how to go deeper and get guys out that last time through.”
In the third, Greinke had struck out Ohtani on a curve. When they met again, Greinke looked to get Ohtani on a similar pitch. But the Angels star hit a laser beam, clocked at 117 mph off the bat, over the wall in right-center.
“I didn’t execute anything that at-bat,” Greinke said. “It was bad pitching to Ohtani, and he’s hot.”
On the next pitch, Trout deposited a fastball into the seats in left-center.
“They’ve certainly done that to a lot of pitchers over the years,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Every game, each team gets that third time through the order. ... Zack is the kind of guy we have a lot of confidence in being able to do something different, give them a different look.”
But there would be no coming back for the Royals this time. A day earlier, they staged their biggest rally of the season, overcoming a six-run deficit in the seventh inning to win 10-9.
One of the stars of that game, Samad Taylor, who delivered the walk-off RBI, followed it up with a RBI single in the fourth inning. Freddy Fermin also added an RBI single.
But there wasn’t enough offense. The Royals collected eight hits, seven singles and Maikel Garcia’s double.
Greinke was making career start No. 529, tied for 36th all-time. He was looking for his second victory of the season. Instead, but a third time through the Angels’ formidable batting order proved to be his undoing.
Missed previous games in this series?
Game 1: Royals shut out in 3-0 loss to Angels
Game 2: Samad Taylor’s 1st MLB hit is a walk-off winner
Trade winds: Which Royals could be dealt at the MLB trade deadline?
Here are more notable aspects of Sunday’s game:
TAYLOR JOINS SHORT LIST
Taylor, who drove in the game-winner on Saturday with single to deep center field, collected an RBI in his first plate appearance Sunday. He thus became the sixth Royals player to record RBIs on each of his two major-league hits.
The others: Ryan O’Hearn (2018), Endy Chavez (2001), Onix Concepcion (1980), Ruppert Jones (1976), Keith Marshall (1973).
Taylor is the first Royals player since Kyle Isbel in 2021 to record RBIs in his first two major league games.
ODD DAY FOR ANGELS’ RENGIFO
Angels third baseman Luis Rengifo was involved in a pair of odds marks in the score book.
His first plate appearance in the second inning ended in a strikeout — but not looking or swinging. Home plate umpire Jeremy RIggs ruled Rengifo waited too long to get into the box. The clock violation was strike three.
In the fourth, with the bases loaded Rengifo was the inning’s third out. Running from first to second on an Andrew Velazquez grounder, Rengifo was hit in the leg by the ball. Velazquez got a base hit in the scorebook but Rengifo was out.
FELIX FERMIN’S CANNON
The Angels tried to run in the ninth inning, but Fermin would have none of it. He threw out Rengfio and Valezquez trying to steal second base.
SUNDAY CALL-UPS PLAY
Two Sunday KC call-ups — pitcher Brooks Kriske and infielder Matt Beaty — saw action in the series finale.
Kriske pitched the ninth inning and surrendered a solo home run to Jared Walsh. Kriske benefited from the strong arm of his catcher Freddy Fermin, who threw out two trying to steal second base.
Beaty picked up a single as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning.
