Nicky Lopez lined a 3-2 cutter into left-center field, made the mad dash to third base and slid in safely with an RBI triple as he pumped his fist towards the Kansas City Royals’ dugout and clapped his hands in celebration as Whit Merrifield scored the go-ahead run.
Lopez’s eighth-inning RBI triple put the Royals in position for their series-opening 6-4 win over the Cleveland Indians in front of an announced 11,670 at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night. Lopez scored from third on a wild pitch to provide an insurance run going into the final inning.
The Royals got 8 1/3 innings from their bullpen after starting pitcher Brady Singer came out of the game with an injury in the first inning. Andrew Benintendi and Salvador Perez each hit home runs, including the MLB-leading 47th of the season for Perez. Perez went 2 for 3 with three runs scored.
Singer came out of the game due to “upper right arm discomfort” with two outs and two strikes on Bradley Zimmer. After his 18th pitch, teammates Merrifield and Salvador Perez approached the mound having noticed something. Royals manager Mike Matheny and head athletic trainer Nick Kenney immediately came out of the dugout and to the mound.
Singer came out of the game, and veteran relief pitcher Ervin Santana emerged from the bullpen.
The Indians took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on three hits against Singer before he left the game with Kenney.
The Royals cut into that lead in the bottom half of the inning after Perez drew a two-out walk and Benintendi smacked his 17th home run of the season. Benintendi turned on a 1-1 fastball from Indians starting pitcher Aaron Civale and deposited it 381 feet away in the right-field stands.
Perez played a key role in tying the score in the fourth inning. He led off with a double to center field and hustled in order to narrowly beat the throw to second base. He tagged and advanced on a deep fly ball to right field, and he scored on Carlos Santana’s sacrifice fly.
Perez’s sixth-inning solo home run gave the Royals a 4-3 advantage.
That lead lasted until the eighth inning when Royals reliever Jake Brentz gave up a run on two hits after he retired the first batter of the inning. Oscar Mercado lined a pinch-hit single into right field. Then Yu Chang ripped an RBI double into right-center field.
Royals center fielder Michael A. Taylor cut the ball off before it got to the wall and got it in quickly. The relay throw by second baseman Merrifield hit the mound, otherwise the Royals had a very good chance of throwing out Mercado at the plate. Mercado’s run tied the game 4-4.
The score remained tied until the eight. Merrifield’s one-out single set the table for Lopez’s RBI triple.
The teams continue their three-game series on Wednesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. The pitching matchup will feature Royals rookie left-hander Daniel Lynch (4-6, 5.40) against Indians right-hander Zach Plesac (10-6, 4.54).
