TORONTO _ On Tuesday afternoon, Kelvin Herrera became an American League All-Star for the second time. He received the news from Royals manager Ned Yost. He called home to his native Dominican Republic, sharing the news with his parents. He beamed with pride over his upcoming trip to San Diego.
One night later, Herrera did something he had only done once in 2016. He allowed at least two runs in an appearance. The stumble came in the bottom of the eighth inning on Wednesday at Rogers Centre. It doomed the Royals in a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
So here are the defending World Series champions, limping toward the All-Star break after four straight losses, firmly entrenched in a championship hangover.
The latest setback came over three days in Toronto. Facing their opponents from last season's American League Championship Series, the Royals lost three games in three different ways.
On Monday, starter Edinson Volquez came apart late. On Tuesday, Chris Young was shellacked in the third inning. On Wednesday, starter Ian Kennedy was sterling for six innings. A quiet offense and shaky Herrera paved the way to another loss. The Royals could only manage two runs against Toronto starter Marcos Stroman and closer Roberto Osuna.
Stroman was facing the Royals for the first time since Game 3 of the American League Championship Series last October. A 25-year-old right-hander with front-line potential, Stroman had scuffled in 2016, posting a 5.08 ERA in 17 starts.
On Wednesday, he flashed five innings of dominance and pitched into the eighth inning, holding the Royals to just two runs on three hits. Stroman was just two outs away from finishing the eighth inning with a 2-1 lead. But Royals designated hitter Brett Eibner put a barrel on a 92 mph fastball, lining a solo homer into the home bullpen in left field.
The baseball rocketed off Eibner's bat at 109 mph and traveled 388 feet. The homer tied the game at 2 and turned the game into a battle of bullpens. Perhaps this is how it's going for Kansas City right now. The vaunted Royals bullpen could not hold up.
As the Royals prepared to board a charter flight back to Kansas City, the offense had hacked in vain against Stroman, who needed just 44 pitches to retire the first 15 batters of the game.
The perfect game bid ended when Eibner worked a walk to lead off the sixth inning. Shortstop Alcides Escobar followed with an RBI triple into the left-center gap. And then the frustration set in.
Center fielder Jarrod Dyson hit a sharp grounder to first base that failed to score Escobar. Alex Gordon hit a broken-bat dribbler to a drawn-in infield, the bat flying over the head of second baseman Devon Travis. And then, Whit Merrifield ended the inning by swinging through an 88 mph cutter. Trailing 2-1, the Royals had the tying run at third base with nobody out. They could not drive him in.
One inning later, Eric Hosmer opened the seventh with a single to right field. Salvador Perez erased the baserunner with a double play. And Stroman worked into the eighth inning.
