Saturday 28th June 2025

Kansas City Royals logo on gray background

Kansas City Royals fans might have found themselves quoting Tom Hanks after an eighth inning to forget, as the Royals lost two players to injury on the same play in a four-run inning that led to a 6-3 win for the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Minute Maid Park.

The Royals had a problem after Yainer Diaz hit a grounder that bounced off the throwing hand of reliever Lucas Erceg, then apparently ran into the outstretched arm of Vinnie Pasquantino at first, who was seeking to catch Erceg’s throw. Both Royals left the game with injuries and have X-ray results pending. That play also resulted in Jose Altuve scoring to tie the game. The Astros showed no mercy, as John Schriber walked in the winning run and Mauricio Dubón brought in another two runs with a single that turned into a double after the second throwing error in the inning.

Adding insult to injury for Erceg, the loss was tagged to him, as were three earned runs on two hits and a walk. The disastrous eighth inning negated Brady Singer’s quality start, allowing two runs in six innings with five hits and one walk with six strikeouts. It also negated the bases-clearing double that Kyle Isbel had in the seventh that put the Royals up 3-2.

With the Guardians off Thursday night, the Royals (75-60) sit a game-and-a-half back of Cleveland in the AL Central, two games ahead of Minnesota for the third wild card. Game two at Minute Maid Park is Friday at 7:10.