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Kansas City Royals pitcher Brady Singer was off to a strong start ... until this moment

Jaylon Thompson
·4 min read

The Kansas City Royals have been seeking a strong effort from their starting rotation after the bullpen was taxed throughout the current home stand. On Saturday, Brady Singer was tasked with taming the Washington Nationals. He looked on his way to providing a quality start.

Singer breezed through five innings and sat down nine of the first 12 batters to face him.

However, things unraveled in the sixth inning. The Nationals scored four runs en route to a 4-2 victory at Kauffman Stadium. Washington won the series outright and will look to sweep the Royals on Sunday afternoon.

“I didn’t really have my best stuff, but I was able to get through the lineup there a few times,” Singer said. “The sinker was kind of pulling on ... but I figured it out as the game went on. I think the slider was the biggest thing today. It had some really good bite to it and I was able to locate that pitch pretty well.”

But then came the sixth.

Missed the start of this series?

The Royals haven’t been able to figure out the sixth inning in this series. Royals pitchers have struggled the third time through the lineup. In the series opener, the Nationals scored eight runs to propel themselves to victory.

The same situation occurred on Saturday. The Nationals got timely hits to chase Singer from the game. Jeimer Candelario led off with a single and teammate Corey Dickerson hit an RBI double to cut into the Royals lead. It was Dickerson’s 1,000th hit of his career.

The Nationals weren’t done. Keibert Ruiz added an RBI single and CJ Abrams had the big blow with a two-run double. Singer was charged with two earned runs. He allowed four hits, issued three walks and struck out six batters.

“Unfortunately, it got away from us quickly,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We were ready and we thought we had a good matchup there with the switch hitter and the two lefties for Josh (Taylor). We just weren’t able to put them away. They put some good swings on it. Abrams with the big hit.”

Quatraro added that he thought Singer was in control during his start. He gave him an opportunity to utilize his pitching arsenal to get the Nationals in order. He said the Royals’ sixth-inning struggles have come down to execution.

“We do feel good about the matchups that we are getting,” Quatraro said. “It’s just a matter of executing. When you don’t, it looks bad.”

Singer agreed. He said the best way to alleviate the struggles are to be aggressive in the strike zone.

“I think we have to attack hitters as best we can,” Singer said. “The walks didn’t help me today, but just try to eliminate those and get back in the strike zone. Obviously, trust your stuff. We were put here for a reason. I think believing in yourself, trusting your stuff and understanding its going to work in the strike zone is going to help us.”

Offensively, the Royals’ runs came when Nick Pratto scored on a wild pitch in the first inning and Salvador Perez later homered off Nationals starter Josiah Gray.

The Royals dropped to 15-38 and have lost three consecutive games.

Carlos Hernandez extinguishes sixth-inning trouble

The Royals were in a dire predicament in the sixth inning. The Nationals had already scored four runs in the frame off starter Brady Singer and reliever Josh Taylor. Neither pitcher could record an out, and it forced Royals manager Matt Quatraro to turn to Carlos Hernandez.

Hernandez came in with runners on second and third. He faced the top of the Nationals lineup and retired them in impressive order. He struck out leadoff hitter Lane Thomas. Next, he induced Luis Garcia to ground out back to the mound. Finally, Joey Meneses lined out to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

“Really, it kept us in the game,” Quatraro said. “It could’ve been a huge turning point right there.”

Hernandez pitched two innings of relief on Saturday. He allowed one hit and struck out two batters.

Salvador Perez blasts fourth-inning solo homer

Royals captain Salvador Perez provided early thunder in the third inning. He powered an 85.7 mph slider into the left-field seats. It was his team-leading 12th home run this season. The homer traveled 382 feet and had a 101.9 exit velocity.

Perez has now homered nine times this month. He tied the single-season club record for most homers in May. In the process, Perez joined Gary Gaetti, who set the mark during the 1995 season.

What’s next: The Royals will conclude their three-game series against the Nationals. Daniel Lynch will make his 2023 debut on the mound. He returns after being sidelined with a left shoulder strain. Lynch will face MacKenzie Gore in Sunday’s finale.