Forget the rabbit, Kansas City Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez pulled two crucial outs from his hat in the eighth inning on what appeared to be a failed rundown. At that moment, it certainly seemed as though momentum sat firmly on the side of the Royals.
Alas, Cleveland stole whatever good vibes, karma or good luck the Royals had in the manner of one swing by Bobby Bradley in the bottom of the ninth. Bradley handed the Royals their second consecutive walk-off loss with a solo home run that made all the difference in 2-1 victory for Cleveland in the second game of their four-game set at Progressive Field on Friday night.
Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller pitched the longest outing of the season for the club. He held Cleveland to one run in 7 2/3 innings. He allowed four hits and four walks, but also struck out a season-high nine.
Keller retired 13 batters in a row starting with the final two outs of the second inning and stretching until he gave up a two-out walk in the sixth. He completed seven innings for the second time this season.
The Royals’ Jorge Soler his his first home run since June 10, and tied the score in the eighth inning.
