KANSAS CITY – In an otherwise quiet and lackluster game offensively on Tuesday night, the Royals flipped the script in the ninth inning to spark a late-night comeback rally.
Down by two runs in the ninth, Salvador Perez reached first base on a catcher’s interference, Michael Massey ripped a one-out single into center field and Carter Jensen walked to load the bases with one out. Tyler Tolbert stepped in as the pinch-hitter against A’s lefty Hogan Harris, and Tolbert snuck a game-tying base hit through the left side of the infield.
That brought up the top of the Royals’ order, and after Isaac Collins flied out to center field, Witt blooped a single into left field to score Jensen from second base.
The Royals had recorded six hits before the ninth inning but had gone just 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position, their only run coming in the seventh when Vinnie Pasquantino doubled home Jac Caglianone. The leadoff runner had been stranded or erased in four separate innings before that, and the Royals had the bases loaded with two outs in the eighth inning only for Maikel Garcia to fly out to right field.
Another chance awaited the Royals in the ninth, and they didn’t let it go to waste.
Starter Daniel Lynch IV allowed one run in the first inning but then settled down to get through four with just that one run allowed, throwing 45 pitches (27 strikes) in his third start since being moved back to the rotation. After a long, 23-pitch first inning, Lynch was efficient the rest of the way and finished the fourth at 45 pitches. Reliever Mason Black allowed two runs in three innings to see the A’s expand their lead, but the Royals received scoreless innings from Alex Lange and Carlos Duran – their newest reliever called up Tuesday – to keep the game close.
Duran’s scoreless inning and the Royals’ comeback earned him his first career win.