Brady Singer’s bad start and a baserunning error prove costly in KC Royals’ loss

Starting pitching has unequivocally been the Royals’ strength this season, and their aggressive base running often has paid dividends, too.

But both proved costly in a tight 5-4 loss Sunday to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The Royals trailed by two runs entering the ninth inning. But, as they’ve done often, they mounted a late rally.

Hunter Renfroe singled with one out against Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen and Garrett Hampson followed with a walk. Dairon Blanco ran for Renfroe and scored when Freddy Fermin lashed a single to center.

Hampson tried to go first to third but he was thrown out on a great throw by Boston center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela. Nick Loftin then grounded out to end the game.

“That’s how we play,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We go hard. We’ve gotta try to make something happen there. It’s hard to get a bunch of hits in one inning against Jansen, so to get a guy to third with one out, you want to take a chance there and the guy made a perfect throw and a good tag.”

The Royals, who are jockeying with the Red Sox for the final Wild Card spot in the American League, essentially had pulled even with Boston in the standings with a win Friday. But the Red Sox took the final two games of the three-game set, and the series.

Although the Royals are two games behind Boston, they enter the All-Star break with a 52-45 record and have just four fewer victories than all of last season.

But they lamented not prevailing against a team they’re battling for postseason position

“Yeah we’re gonna play hard to the last out,” Royals captain Salvador Perez said. “We didn’t get the win, kind of tough for us.”

Missed previous games of the series?

Game 1: Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez homer in 5-1 win at Boston

Game 2: Royals blanked as Seth Lugo struggles

Here are other noteworthy moments from Sunday’s game.

Singer struggles

Starting pitcher Brady Singer had his shortest outing of the season, allowing four runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings. It was one day after Seth Lugo’s worst start of 2024.

Singer got 12 swings-and-misses and was at two strikes on 12 of the 16 batters he faced, but he had trouble finishing off batters.

“That’s probably the key to the bad start there,” Singer said. “I was able to get two strikes, felt like I was getting ahead in the count and then just couldn’t put them away with two strikes.”

Singer, 5-6, had allowed three runs or fewer in his last five starts, including four straight games in which he surrendered just a run. But Rafael Devers (first inning) and Dominic Smith (second inning) each hit an early two-run homer.

Quatraro pulled Singer with the bases loaded and two outs, but lefty Angel Zerpa got a pop out to avoid further damage and keep the Royals’ deficit at 4-1.

Five Royals relievers combined to allow just one run in the last 5 1/3 innings on Sunday to keep it close.

Melendez injured

Runners were on the corners with one out for the Royals in the fourth inning when MJ Melendez sprinted to avoid a double play on a ground ball.

A run scored to make it 4-2, but unfortunately for Melendez sprained his ankle on the play and left the game.

“He’s gonna go back with the team and some further testing tomorrow,” Quatraro said. “We don’t really have a good (update) tonight.”

Monster mash

Perez, Kansas City’s designated hitter Sunday, hit a laser over the Green Monster in the sixth inning to pull the Royals within a run at 4-3.

As Crash Davis noted of a homer in the movie “Bull Durham”: That ball got outta here in a hurry.

So did this one from Perez, the Royals’ captain.

In the seventh inning, the Red Sox got a run back against Will Smith. Boston used a leadoff walk, a ground-out and RBI single from Dominic Smith to take a two-run lead.

That proved to be a pivotal run when the Royals mounted their late rally.

What’s next: After the All-Star break, the Royals will begin a nine-game homestand on Friday. Michael Wacha will open the second half against the Chicago White Sox. First pitch at Kauffman Stadium will be at 7:10 p.m.