Royals top Marlins 7-3, take series finale
Carter Jensen homered and Michael Wacha struck out 7 as the Royals closed out their series against Miami with a 7-3 win, though Kansas City is still 63-78 and 10.5 games back in the AL Central.
Jensen, Wacha close out the Marlins
The Royals closed out their series against the Miami Marlins with a 7-3 win on September 3, a night carried by Carter Jensen, who went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and a home run and drove in 3 runs. Michael Wacha started and worked 6.0 innings, allowing 6 hits and 3 earned runs while striking out 7 against 2 walks — a line the Royals themselves flagged as a 'Wacha bump night.'
Marlins3-6Marlins6-9Marlins7-3It was the only game Kansas City won in the set: Miami took the opener 6-3 on September 1 and the middle game 9-6 on September 2 before the Royals answered in the finale. The split leaves Kansas City 2-3 over its last 5 games and 63-78 on the season.
Recent News
Noah Cameron and Jac Caglianone were named the American League's Pitcher and Player of the Month for August, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported. It is the 4th time in franchise history the Royals have had both the AL Player and Pitcher of the Month honors in the same month.
The recognition comes as Kansas City sits 10.5 games back in the AL Central with an elimination number of 12, a reminder that individual performances like Cameron's and Caglianone's are carrying a club that is 63-78 and out of the race. Wacha's 7-strikeout outing in the finale against Miami fit the same pattern — pitching that has outpaced the record around it.
Upcoming
Kansas City sends Daniel Lynch IV to the mound against Jameson Taillon. Lynch is 4-4 with a 3.06 ERA and worked 3.1 innings with 3 strikeouts against 2 walks in his last start on August 29 at Cleveland. Taillon is 2-6 with a 5.68 ERA and lasted 4.0 innings with 3 strikeouts and no decision in his last outing, on August 10 against Boston.
The Royals host the Blue Jays tonight, and the market favors Kansas City, with the total pointing to a high-scoring game. Lynch's shorter recent outings and Taillon's inflated ERA both point toward a game that could get away from either bullpen before it is through.