Slumbering bats + bullpen meltdown cost Royals in series finale vs. Chicago Cubs

The Kansas City Royals ended their nine-game homestand in disappointing fashion Sunday afternoon.

The Royals lost 7-3 to the Chicago Cubs in the final game of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.

The teams traded runs early. The Royals raced out to a quick advantage as outfielder Hunter Renfroe hit a two-run single. But the Cubs fired back in the third when second baseman Nico Horner hit a two-run single of his own.

It remained a close game into the ninth inning, Chicago leading 4-3. But Royals reliever James McArthur allowed three runs, including a solo homer to Cubs first baseman Patrick Wisdom, who hit a pinch-hit grand slam for the Chicago on Saturday.

“Everybody is going to go through bumps in the road,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of McArthur, who struggled for the second straight outing. “I think whether that’s the team or an individual, you’ve got to be consistent. You’ve got to stay with guys and you’ve got to hope there is things we can do to help him, as well.”

The Royals dropped to 57-49.

KC left-handed starting pitcher Cole Ragans suffered his seventh loss after allowing four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. He surrendered eight hits and struck out seven.

“I felt like I commanded my stuff pretty well,” Ragans said. “I made a few mistakes and, obviously, they made me pay.”

The Cubs limited the Royals to five hits. In the fourth inning, Royals catcher Freddy Fermin hit a solo home run after fan interference. The blast was one of three runs allowed by Cubs starter Javier Assad.

However, the Royals didn’t manage to record another hit all afternoon.

Assad registered five strikeouts and walked a batter in six innings as Chicago improved to 51-56.

The Royals finished their nine-game homestand 5-4. They swept the Chicago White Sox in three games, then dropped series against the Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks.

“We’ve got a big series coming up, so we’ve got to focus on that and put this behind us,” Renfroe said. “Sometimes, you got to tip your hat to the other team.

“They played well and hit the ball well. We’ve just got to go out there and get ready to go for Chicago (White Sox) and Detroit (Tigers).”

Missed previous games of the series?

Game 1: Royals eclipse 2023 win total with series-opening victory over Cubs

Game 2: Royals fall 9-4 to Cubs after Patrick Wisdom’s pinch-hit grand slam

Here are more notable aspects of Sunday’s game:

MJ Melendez returns from injured list

Royals outfielder MJ Melendez was activated from the 10-day injured list for Sunday’s game.

Melendez had missed time with a sprained left ankle. He sustained the injury prior to the All-Star break in a game against the Boston Red Sox.

On Saturday, he hit a homer and drew a walk in his third rehab start with Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

“We were hoping it was short,” Quatraro said of Melendez’s stay on the IL. “It was more just how he felt. He didn’t have to show us anything performance-wise as much as can he run full-speed and could he cut.”

Melendez started Sunday’s game in left. He batted sixth and finished 0-for-4. He is hitting .193 this year.

In a corresponding move to Melendez’s activation, the Royals sent outfielder Drew Waters to Triple-A Omaha following Saturday’s game.

Royals relievers exit with injuries

New Royals relief pitcher Hunter Harvey left Sunday’s game early alongside members of KC’s training staff.

In the seventh inning, Harvey recorded two outs before showing signs of discomfort with runners on first and second.

Acquired from the Washington Nationals via a mid-July trade, Harvey had walked Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ. He struggled to throw a strike and was facing Cubs designated hitter Michael Busch.

The Royals summoned left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa from the bullpen. Zerpa struck out Busch to end the inning, the Royals trailing 4-3.

“Harvey’s left low back just kind of spasmed during his warm-ups on the field,” Quatraro said. “He slipped a little bit in the hole and it just kind of locked up on him a little bit. So, he was battling that the whole time.”

It was a tough day all around for the Royals’ relief crew. John Schreiber exited after experiencing discomfort in the patella tendon of his right knee. He sustained the injury stepping on first base to end the sixth inning.

“It’s just some discomfort in there,” Quatraro said. “We certainly don’t know anything yet. We are going to get some more time between now and let it calm down a little — get some more imaging tomorrow and see what we can find out.”

What’s next on the KC Royals’ schedule?

The Royals begin a six-game road trip against American League Central rivals. Their first stop will be in Chicago.

Right-handed pitcher Alec Marsh will get the 7:10 p.m. start for the Royals against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Marsh is 3-4 with a 5.11 ERA in eight road starts this season.

The White Sox will start right-hander Chris Flexen. He is 2-10 with a 5.25 ERA and allowed seven earned runs in a July 19 start against the Royals.