street. PETERSBURG — Royals right winger Jordan Lyles waited at the top of the stairs Saturday, giving to his teammates as they arrived from the visiting dugout for their club’s triumphant entrance at Tropicana Field. Smiles were everywhere.
Lyles finally escaped the unwanted shadow of history—the Royals haven’t won with him on the mound this season, a 0-for-15 streak that set an MLB record in the live-ball era (since 1920)—and he did so resoundingly with a 9-1 win over Kansas City. 4 on Tampa Bay.
“It was another reminder that shaking hands after games is so much fun,” Lyles (1-11) said after his first win with the Royals. “Obviously we haven’t done it when I do [started]. It feels really good to win.
“My mind hasn’t changed, in standard terms. I’m a very positive guy in general. I think the next day is another day to get better. It might sound cliche, but I’m still learning and I’m still trying to get better. I’m always looking to discover something that gets me over the hump.” ”
Lyles said he was very pleased with the way Saturday’s win took place. He went six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. But he was solidly backed by the Royals’ offense, which wiped out the Rays’ lead 4-0 after two innings.
The difference was a two-run and three-run home run off of Rays catcher Freddy Firmin’s Uni Cherinos, giving the Royals a 6-4 lead they would not relinquish. Drew Waters and Eduard Olivares also contributed to the attack, which struck 11 people.
But the biggest factor was promotion. After a fourth inning by Vidal Brogan, Kansas City pitchers (Lyles, Carlos Hernandez, and Nick Wittgren) retired the last 17 Rays, who entered the game second in MLB in runs per game (5.62) and strikeouts (708). And Kansas City did just that after putting Tampa Bay into an offensive clinic with 17 strikeouts in its 11-3 win over the Royals Friday night.
“We’ve had a really effective presentation number [from Lyles] “The lights were out,” Royals manager Matt Quattroro said. “You feel really good about Jordan. Someone like him who’s been in this game for a long time, he has a lot of pride in what he’s doing. He’s handled himself very well during this [winless drought]. ”
When the Rays took a 4-0 lead over Lyles after two innings, Quatraro said the Royals’ three-run third inning, started by Waters’s solo homer, was a necessary response. It allowed the Royals, who have a career-leading 28 blown home runs in MLB this season, to pull off a comeback victory.
“land [four runs] They didn’t look great, but our guys stayed aggressive, were looking to get to the first pitch, and they pulled it off.”
Anytime a team goes up four [runs] “If you don’t answer, it’s kind of hard,” Waters said. “But we bounced back and did some running. You’re showing the other team that there’s still life. By the end of the game, we really opened it up.”
In the fourth, with Olivares and Waters on board with two outs, Fermin changed the game with three runs on Chirinos’ first pitch. Firmin added a pair of singles and finished 3-for-3.
“This was my plan [to jump the first pitch]Firmin said. “When I hit the ball, I knew it was gone.”
The Royals (22-55) can take the series against the Rays (53-27) with a victory on Sunday. The Rays (33-10 in Trop) haven’t dropped consecutive home games since April 25-26 against the Astros.
“You hope it’s a confidence-builder and a motivator, but I’m not a huge believer in that,” Quatraro said. “Tomorrow is today, isn’t it? When we show up tomorrow, the rays don’t care what happened today. It’s a new beginning.”
“It’s going to be great to come out of here, maybe win three games here and finish a good road trip. Any win is a good win. Anytime you can put things together and tie things together, that’s what we’re looking to do.”
The performance against the Rays really provided confidence, Waters said.
“As far as the royal family is concerned, everyone wants to focus on what we’re not doing,” Waters said. “But I think it will show what we are capable of doing. As long as we keep the right track and keep playing as a team, I think good things are on the way.”
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