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3Bplay · 09-28-2025, 12:13 AM

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Royals win two-of-three from Mariners; sign minor league pitcher

By artoodeetoo
09/19/2025

9/15 -- Flurry of roster moves made ahead of Seattle series: Pitchers Ryan Thompson and Taylor Clarke were placed on the 15-day injured list ahead of the Royals' series with Seattle, as Hunter Harvey was activated off his rehab assignment, along with Stephen Kolek. Kolek was re-called from Triple-A to make his Royals debut tomorrow night, as he'll draw the starting assignment against Logan Gilbert in the series opener between the M's and the Royals.

Michael Lorenzen will be moved to the bullpen for the remainder of the season, per manager Matt Quatraro, to accommodate Kolek being placed in the rotation. Additionally, the Royals also activated Kyle Isbel from the injured list, and optioned John Rave back to Triple-A.

Kansas City is 5 1/2 games out of the wildcard race with just a dozen games to go, but the skipper is not giving up so easily as they continue to shuffle the roster to try and give them a chance to sneak in.

"Not until the math says that we can't," he said with a wry smile when asked about starting to turn the page to next season. "I mean, does it look good? No, but we're not going to stop fighting until it's impossible to get in. We owe it to the players to make every effort to get in and then win in the postseason."

9/16 -- Cags homers; Royals drop opener: Jac Caglianone's solo homerun got the Royals on the board first in the third, but otherwise couldn't figure out Logan Gilbert as the Mariners would eventually tie the game and then take the lead late in handing a loss to the Royals by a 2-1 score.

Over eight innings, Gilbert allowed just three hits and the lone homerun, striking out eight without walking a batter. His Royals counterpart on the other side, Stephen Kolek, was outstanding in his K.C. debut, allowing just one earned run (two total) over 5 2/3 innings of work. He fanned only four, but didn't walk anyone and scattered five hits.

"Disappointing that we couldn't give Steve any support, but that guy on the other side was pretty solid," manager Matt Quatraro said, referring to Gilbert. "I mean, he had everything working for him to a T. That's really hard to counter."

Even as the Royals' playoff hopes begin to dim, one of the bright spots in the last month's worth of games has been Caglianone's improvement since returning from the injured list. His homerun in the third was his fifth homerun since returning, and has gone 21-for-86 (.244) with five homeruns, seven doubles, and a dozen walks in that same stretch.

That last stat is significant as it shows that teams are starting to respect him a little more; as most of his on-base was helped by a half-dozen hit-by-pitch plate appearances, although he's added three more since his IL stint.

"Something is really starting to click with him, and we couldn't be more excited to see it happen," Quatraro went on to say when asked about his progress. "Whether it's been extra sessions with Alec (hitting coach Zumwalt), or film study, or just the game starting to slow down, all of that is good to see."

9/16 -- Royals acquire Anderson from Red Sox: It's late in the season, but the Royals are still looking to find talent for 2026 and beyond as they have announced a deal with the Red Sox for pitcher Jack Anderson. The Royals will send cash to Boston for the 25-year-old righty, who has put together a solid year for their Double-A affiliate in Portland, Maine.

Working mainly as a long reliever-slash-swingman, Anderson posted a 3.02 ERA in 59 2/3 innings, striking out seventy-nine hitters while walking just fourteen. He made twenty total appearances, with three of those being starts. He did make one spot start with Triple-A Worcester, but was bombed for three homeruns, eleven hits, and eight earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings all the way back on April 19th.

He was just coming off a rehab assignment in High-A, working two innings over two appearances with no walks and two strikeouts. However, he has not pitched since September 3rd after undergoing a minor procedure for a finger tendon injury on his pitching hand.

9/17 -- Cags, Grichuk power Royals win: Kansas City kept their slim playoff hopes alive with an 8-3 victory on Wednesday night, thanks to a big day from Jac Caglianone and key hits from Maikel Garcia and Randal Grichuk. Michael Wacha picked up his eighth win of the season with just two earned runs over six innings; with both runs coming in the first on a Cal Raleigh homerun, his 53rd of the season.

Wacha worked through just eighty-nine pitches. With the top of the lineup coming up for the seventh, Matt Quatraro opted to go with Angel Zerpa for the fourth turn through the order rather than try Wacha on a fourth turn through the order.

Kansas City pounced on Mariners starter Luis Castillo in the second, scoring a pair of runs on a Caglianone double and a two-run homerun from Grichuk that also brought Jac around to score. The offense went dormant until the eighth when they scored another four-spot to put the game out of reach.

Five of the first six hitters in the eighth reached base with two scoring. Bobby Witt Jr's flyout was the only out to that point. Jonathan India later added a two-run single to chase the newly-extended Caleb Ferguson from the contest in favor of Trent Thornton.

Up 8-2 to begin the ninth after the big inning, Quatraro went with lefty Daniel Lynch IV to finish out the game with a slew of lefty hitters coming up, but couldn't finish the game as he left the bases loaded with two outs and a run already in to make it an 8-3 game.

Julio Rodriguez was the next hitter, with Quatraro opting for closer Carlos Estevez to pick up the save. With Cal Raleigh on deck, Estevez struck out the All-Star outfielder to end the game and pick up his 35th save of the season and leave Raleigh in the on-deck circle.

9/18 -- Royals ride big inning to series win: Thanks to a six-run fourth inning, Kansas City took two of three from the Mariners at home, rolling to a 9-2 win to keep their hopes alive for a playoff berth as they head into the final home series of the season that begins Friday night against the AL wildcard-leading Blue Jays.

The Mariners once again started off with a two-run homerun in the first inning, this time from Eugenio Suarez to put the Mariners up 2-0 against Noah Cameron in the first inning. But the rookie southpaw put that behind him very quickly, striking out five through his first two innings on his way to a nine-strikeout, no-walk performance over 6 2/3 innings of work to pick up his ninth win of the season.

He only allowed two baserunners after that initial inning, with none of them reaching any further than second base.

"Just going out there and throwing strikes, lots of good things can happen," he said after the game. "A lot of pitching is just putting bad stuff behind you and going out and just continuing to attack guys, letting your defense take control and having the confidence they'll do the job."

Bobby Witt Jr kicked off the fourth with a solo homerun against Bryce Miller, who had cruised through the Royals' lineup over the first three innings. But they clearly adjusted for the second go-round, as beginning with Witt, the Royals saw their first seven hitters reach base safely before a strikeout and a double play ended the inning.

However, they hit two more homeruns after that initial homerun, also adding an RBI single from Maikel Garcia. Salvador Perez and Jonathan India added two-run homeruns, chasing Miller from the game after just four innings. Domingo German was able to stop the bleeding, but even he couldn't go unscathed as Carter Jensen's RBI single in the sixth added an insurance run, his first MLB RBI.

"Seeing the offense put these games away late is great to see," said skipper Matt Quatraro. "One of the things we haven't done well lately is put teams away when we have a chance, and the last couple of games have been positive developments in that regard. Especially against a bullpen like they have over there."

In the eighth, Jensen would later hit his first MLB double for another run, giving him his first multi-hit game. Adam Frazier also doubled home a run in that eighth inning. Michael Lorenzen finished the game, pitching the final 2 1/3 innings in his first relief appearance of the 2025 season.

09-28-2025, 12:13 AM	#19
3Bplay Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 326	Royals News (09/15 -- 09/19) Team Roster/Records \| Statistics \| Standings ROYALS HEADLINES Royals win two-of-three from Mariners; sign minor league pitcher By artoodeetoo 09/19/2025 9/15 -- Flurry of roster moves made ahead of Seattle series: Pitchers Ryan Thompson and Taylor Clarke were placed on the 15-day injured list ahead of the Royals' series with Seattle, as Hunter Harvey was activated off his rehab assignment, along with Stephen Kolek. Kolek was re-called from Triple-A to make his Royals debut tomorrow night, as he'll draw the starting assignment against Logan Gilbert in the series opener between the M's and the Royals. Michael Lorenzen will be moved to the bullpen for the remainder of the season, per manager Matt Quatraro, to accommodate Kolek being placed in the rotation. Additionally, the Royals also activated Kyle Isbel from the injured list, and optioned John Rave back to Triple-A. Kansas City is 5 1/2 games out of the wildcard race with just a dozen games to go, but the skipper is not giving up so easily as they continue to shuffle the roster to try and give them a chance to sneak in. "Not until the math says that we can't," he said with a wry smile when asked about starting to turn the page to next season. "I mean, does it look good? No, but we're not going to stop fighting until it's impossible to get in. We owe it to the players to make every effort to get in and then win in the postseason." 9/16 -- Cags homers; Royals drop opener: Jac Caglianone's solo homerun got the Royals on the board first in the third, but otherwise couldn't figure out Logan Gilbert as the Mariners would eventually tie the game and then take the lead late in handing a loss to the Royals by a 2-1 score. Over eight innings, Gilbert allowed just three hits and the lone homerun, striking out eight without walking a batter. His Royals counterpart on the other side, Stephen Kolek, was outstanding in his K.C. debut, allowing just one earned run (two total) over 5 2/3 innings of work. He fanned only four, but didn't walk anyone and scattered five hits. "Disappointing that we couldn't give Steve any support, but that guy on the other side was pretty solid," manager Matt Quatraro said, referring to Gilbert. "I mean, he had everything working for him to a T. That's really hard to counter." Even as the Royals' playoff hopes begin to dim, one of the bright spots in the last month's worth of games has been Caglianone's improvement since returning from the injured list. His homerun in the third was his fifth homerun since returning, and has gone 21-for-86 (.244) with five homeruns, seven doubles, and a dozen walks in that same stretch. That last stat is significant as it shows that teams are starting to respect him a little more; as most of his on-base was helped by a half-dozen hit-by-pitch plate appearances, although he's added three more since his IL stint. "Something is really starting to click with him, and we couldn't be more excited to see it happen," Quatraro went on to say when asked about his progress. "Whether it's been extra sessions with Alec (hitting coach Zumwalt), or film study, or just the game starting to slow down, all of that is good to see." 9/16 -- Royals acquire Anderson from Red Sox: It's late in the season, but the Royals are still looking to find talent for 2026 and beyond as they have announced a deal with the Red Sox for pitcher Jack Anderson. The Royals will send cash to Boston for the 25-year-old righty, who has put together a solid year for their Double-A affiliate in Portland, Maine. Working mainly as a long reliever-slash-swingman, Anderson posted a 3.02 ERA in 59 2/3 innings, striking out seventy-nine hitters while walking just fourteen. He made twenty total appearances, with three of those being starts. He did make one spot start with Triple-A Worcester, but was bombed for three homeruns, eleven hits, and eight earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings all the way back on April 19th. He was just coming off a rehab assignment in High-A, working two innings over two appearances with no walks and two strikeouts. However, he has not pitched since September 3rd after undergoing a minor procedure for a finger tendon injury on his pitching hand. 9/17 -- Cags, Grichuk power Royals win: Kansas City kept their slim playoff hopes alive with an 8-3 victory on Wednesday night, thanks to a big day from Jac Caglianone and key hits from Maikel Garcia and Randal Grichuk. Michael Wacha picked up his eighth win of the season with just two earned runs over six innings; with both runs coming in the first on a Cal Raleigh homerun, his 53rd of the season. Wacha worked through just eighty-nine pitches. With the top of the lineup coming up for the seventh, Matt Quatraro opted to go with Angel Zerpa for the fourth turn through the order rather than try Wacha on a fourth turn through the order. Kansas City pounced on Mariners starter Luis Castillo in the second, scoring a pair of runs on a Caglianone double and a two-run homerun from Grichuk that also brought Jac around to score. The offense went dormant until the eighth when they scored another four-spot to put the game out of reach. Five of the first six hitters in the eighth reached base with two scoring. Bobby Witt Jr's flyout was the only out to that point. Jonathan India later added a two-run single to chase the newly-extended Caleb Ferguson from the contest in favor of Trent Thornton. Up 8-2 to begin the ninth after the big inning, Quatraro went with lefty Daniel Lynch IV to finish out the game with a slew of lefty hitters coming up, but couldn't finish the game as he left the bases loaded with two outs and a run already in to make it an 8-3 game. Julio Rodriguez was the next hitter, with Quatraro opting for closer Carlos Estevez to pick up the save. With Cal Raleigh on deck, Estevez struck out the All-Star outfielder to end the game and pick up his 35th save of the season and leave Raleigh in the on-deck circle. 9/18 -- Royals ride big inning to series win: Thanks to a six-run fourth inning, Kansas City took two of three from the Mariners at home, rolling to a 9-2 win to keep their hopes alive for a playoff berth as they head into the final home series of the season that begins Friday night against the AL wildcard-leading Blue Jays. The Mariners once again started off with a two-run homerun in the first inning, this time from Eugenio Suarez to put the Mariners up 2-0 against Noah Cameron in the first inning. But the rookie southpaw put that behind him very quickly, striking out five through his first two innings on his way to a nine-strikeout, no-walk performance over 6 2/3 innings of work to pick up his ninth win of the season. He only allowed two baserunners after that initial inning, with none of them reaching any further than second base. "Just going out there and throwing strikes, lots of good things can happen," he said after the game. "A lot of pitching is just putting bad stuff behind you and going out and just continuing to attack guys, letting your defense take control and having the confidence they'll do the job." Bobby Witt Jr kicked off the fourth with a solo homerun against Bryce Miller, who had cruised through the Royals' lineup over the first three innings. But they clearly adjusted for the second go-round, as beginning with Witt, the Royals saw their first seven hitters reach base safely before a strikeout and a double play ended the inning. However, they hit two more homeruns after that initial homerun, also adding an RBI single from Maikel Garcia. Salvador Perez and Jonathan India added two-run homeruns, chasing Miller from the game after just four innings. Domingo German was able to stop the bleeding, but even he couldn't go unscathed as Carter Jensen's RBI single in the sixth added an insurance run, his first MLB RBI. "Seeing the offense put these games away late is great to see," said skipper Matt Quatraro. "One of the things we haven't done well lately is put teams away when we have a chance, and the last couple of games have been positive developments in that regard. Especially against a bullpen like they have over there." In the eighth, Jensen would later hit his first MLB double for another run, giving him his first multi-hit game. Adam Frazier also doubled home a run in that eighth inning. Michael Lorenzen finished the game, pitching the final 2 1/3 innings in his first relief appearance of the 2025 season.