KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ In 621 career plate appearances, Rangers left fielder Delino DeShields had hit just four home runs. A former Rule 5 draft pick, he had cracked just two home runs in 2015 and another two this season. As the 23-year-old DeShields stepped to the plate against Luke Hochevar in the seventh inning, he had not hit a baseball over the fence since May 8.
That changed when Hochevar left a 94-mph fastball over the heart of the plate. DeShields dropped his barrel on the baseball and unleashed a quick and efficient stroke. The ball jumped off the bat and soared toward deep left, landing in the front row of the fountain seats in left-center field, just above the 387-foot sign.
The solo homer broke a late-inning deadlock and stood up as the winning run in the Royals' 2-1 loss to the Texas Rangers at Kauffman Stadium. For the second straight day, a Kansas City defeat was marked by a quiet offensive performance and a seventh-inning bullpen lapse.
Hochevar's seventh inning was not as destructive as Joakim Soria's was on Saturday night _ Hochevar allowed just a solo homer while Soria was nicked for four runs _ but the end result was just as demoralizing. The Royals suffered a series loss after claiming the opener on Friday night. As the Aug. 1 trade deadline looms just seven days away, Kansas City, 48-49, dropped under .500 for the first time since May 16.
One day earlier, on May 15, the Royals had defeated the Atlanta Braves in 13 innings, picking up a 4-2 victory on a day Wade Davis blew a save. They improved to 18-19, kick-started a three-game winning streak and surged back into contention in late May.
On Sunday, they wasted a strong effort from starter Edinson Volquez and failed to capitalize on opportunities at the plate. The lone run came on a solo shot from Kendrys Morales, who collected his 16th homer in the bottom of the fourth.
As a collection of major-league scouts congregated in a section of the Royals' press box, Volquez logged six workmanlike innings. He scattered seven hits across six innings. He struck out three while working around three walks. His peripheral numbers were not flawless, but as Kauffman Stadium baked on a Sunday afternoon, Volquez embraced the conditions and danced around trouble.
The Rangers left nine runners on base and Volquez was a magician with runners in scoring position. Finally, he cracked in the top of the sixth, allowing a two-out RBI single to Mitch Moreland.
One inning later, DeShields landed the fatal blow against Hochevar.
