Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 3.75 ERA) got the ball for Philadelphia looking to keep the good vibes rolling after a sweep of Pittsburgh, while Michael Wacha (5-5, 3.45) started for a Royals club trying to snap out of a brutal stretch. First pitch went off at 7:10 PM CT at Kauffman Stadium, and it didn't take long for the Phillies to make their intentions known.
Kansas City walked into this one already banged up. Salvador Perez was out of the lineup with elbow soreness, Stephen Kolek landed on the paternity list hours before first pitch, and the Royals' rotation depth has been in freefall for weeks with Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic both shut down long-term. That's a lot of holes to plug against a Phillies team that had just outscored Pittsburgh 24-6 over its final two games of that series.
None of it mattered much once the game started. Philadelphia's lineup did its usual thing — grinding at-bats, working the count, making a shaky pitching staff pay — and the Royals simply didn't have the answers to slow it down.
The Phillies broke it open with a 3-run 4th and never let up, tacking on single runs in the 6th, 7th and 8th while racking up 12 hits against Kansas City pitching. The Royals managed just 5 hits and a lone run off Luzardo and the Phillies' bullpen, with an error compounding an already ugly night at the plate.
It fit the pattern for both sides. Philadelphia has made a habit of bouncing back with authority, and Kansas City has made a habit of the opposite — Saturday's loss extended a stretch that's seen the Royals drop 6 of their last 7 games.
- 15-Day-ILBrad Keller RP — Keller (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday.
- 60-Day-ILJohan Rojas CF — Rojas (suspension) underwent surgery Friday to repair the UCL in his right elbow and will face an expected recovery timeline of 6-to-8 months, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
- 60-Day-ILAdolis Garcia RF — The Phillies announced that Garcia underwent successful surgery Wednesday to repair a torn right lat, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
- Day-To-DaySalvador Perez C — Perez (elbow) is not in the Royals' starting lineup against the Phillies on Saturday.
- 10-Day-ILKyle Isbel CF — Isbel (foot) will continue his rehab in Arizona to begin July with the hope of embarking on a rehab assignment before the All-Star break, MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILVinnie Pasquantino 1B — Pasquantino (hand) will continue his rehab in Arizona to begin July with the hope of embarking on a rehab assignment before the All-Star break, MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILMaikel Garcia 3B — The Royals placed Garcia on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to a left hand muscle strain.
- PaternityStephen Kolek SP — The Royals placed Kolek (personal) on the Family Medical Emergency List on Saturday.
- 15-Day-ILConnor Seabold RP — The Royals placed Seabold on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right lat strain.
- 15-Day-ILNick Mears RP — Mears (shoulder) threw a bullpen Saturday, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILKris Bubic SP — Bubic (elbow/shoulder) received a cortisone injection Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
With Ragans, Bubic, Estevez, McArthur and Marsh all already lost for extended stretches, Kansas City's pitching margin for error is basically zero, and it showed again on a night meant for celebration in Kansas City.