How a Royals rally Friday (that fell short) sparked KC’s walk-off thriller Sunday

A mob engulfed Nick Loftin on the right side of the infield, a walk-off celebration competed by a Bobby Witt Jr. water-cooler splash.

It probably could’ve been reserved for Nelson Velazquez, whose two-run triple truly keyed the ninth-inning heroics of the Royals’ 4-3 comeback win against the Padres on Sunday.

But who cares? The location and recipient of the frenzy aren’t the point.

Actually, for a moment here, neither is the frenzy itself.

There’s an important aspect before, during and after the Royals’ three-run ninth inning that could get lost in its re-telling, and you would’ve found it in the quietest part of the ballpark during that inning: the opposing bullpen.

The Royals put together the come-from-behind win — a Vinnie Pasquantino single, a Salvador Perez seven-pitch walk, the Velazquez triple to tie the game and the Loftin sacrifice fly to win it — in front of more than 21,000 spectators in the Kauffman Stadium stands.

And a couple of really notable spectators in the Padres’ bullpen: Robert Suarez and Jeremiah Estrada.

You see, San Diego has two of the most dynamic relievers in baseball this season — Suarez, the closer, and Estrada, the setup man, both have earned-run averages below 1. Yet, on Sunday, they watched left-hander Yuki Matsui implode in the ninth inning.

What gives? Well, the go-to arms were burned over the the last two nights — even in a game that once had an eight-run margin.

The Royals made sure of it.

That whole celebration that unfolded on the infield Sunday afternoon nearly happened just 36 hours earlier with probably some more juice. Or, ahem, more splash.

It was late Friday, and after the Padres flipped a lead in the eighth inning, that naturally prompted Suarez to get loose. But a small lead ballooned to eight, sitting down Suarez.

For a moment.

The Royals would bring 10 hitters to the plate in the ninth Friday, and in an inning that began as such a blowout they had a position player on the mound in the top half, they sent up Velasquez as the tying run. Begrudgingly, Padres manager Mike Shildt turned to his closer to finish the game.

The Royals forced Shildt to use Estrada and Suarez on Friday — and then he needed them both again Saturday.

So on Sunday? He had neither available.

In from the bullpen walked Matsui.

Ten minutes later, he walked to the dugout with a loss. .

“We ended up losing that game (Friday), but we got to all the best pieces that they have (in the bullpen),” Perez said. “Everybody is good, but there’s a reason why they’re the closer or the set-up guy. Not having those guys available today was big for us.”

The Royals needed a win Sunday, much as they impress that no singular game is worth dwelling on, and let’s be honest here: They probably don’t get a win if not for a five-run ninth Friday.

They won because of a loss.

They aren’t the first team in baseball to benefit from the trickle-down effect of using relievers — no one is claiming that here — but there’s an obvious lesson in the series, and it’s one that veteran Adam Frazier said they’ve been trying to impart on this particular group.

“It’s what we’re trying to teach the young guys — the importance of getting the closer in the game even if the game might seem out of reach,” Frazier said.

Already in play.

The Royals are baseball’s best team against bullpens this season, which is a combination of encouraging and maddening because they are one of baseball’s worst at the onset of a game. They have a .755 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) against relievers, which ranks first in the league and represents an improvement of more than 100 points from a year ago, when they were 28th in the league.

It has become a feature quality.

Even after the comeback, the Royals have still lost six of their past games — their most trying stretch of the season to date — but take a look at the ninth inning of those six. They combined for 11 runs and 22 baserunners in those six innings. They put multiple runners on base and brought the tying run to the plate in five of the six.

Frustrating results just the same, absolutely.

But it led to a better one Sunday.