For the second night in a row, the Athletics’ bullpen, statistically the worst in the league by ERA in 2026, let Kansas City completely snatch away a Sacramento lead. The Royals took the game 9-7, pushing them to the brink of a possible four-game sweep tomorrow afternoon.
Early Fireworks and Springs’ Struggles
The day started poorly for Royals pitcher Seth Lugo. He gave up three consecutive hits to the first three batters of the game. All three were hard-hit ground balls that found holes: Henry Bolte at 110 mph, Jeff McNeil at 105.8 mph, and Zack Gelof at 102.9 mph. McNeil’s was a double, giving the Athletics a quick 2-0 lead. Lugo then settled in, getting through the fourth with seeming ease.
Meanwhile, the Royals had multiple opportunities to get to Jeffrey Springs, but failed to cash in. Springs walked two batters in the second, then walked one and hit Jac Caglianone in the ribs in the third. That’s four free base runners in two innings, yet none came around to score. They had to capitalize on those opportunities! Finally, in the fourth, Vinnie Pasquantino’s leadoff single set the table. Springs had a very awkward attempted pitch that he couldn’t throw, balking Vinnie over to second base. Salvador Perez promptly jumped on a pitch and drove it to the left-center gap to score him and make the score 2-1. That RBI makes Salvy officially second all-time in RBIs at Kauffman Stadium, behind only George Brett.
A’s Build a Lead, Then the Bullpen Calls
Lugo ran into his second round of trouble in the fifth inning. With one out, Donovan Walton singled up the middle, and Max Muncy did as well. Bolte followed that with a third consecutive single through the left side, scoring Walton on a poor throw from Tyler Tolbert, allowing the other two to move up to second and third. McNeil hit the fourth single in a row on an odd golf swing to score one more. A third RBI came when Gelof grounded out, but McNeil held up long enough to prevent a double play, allowing Bolte to sprint home. The Athletics led 5-1. Jac Caglianone was pinch-hit for in the fifth due to ankle soreness. He evidently tweaked something hustling for a single in the first, and they pulled him after four innings, a smart precautionary move. Lugo ended his night at 6 IP, 9 H, 0 BB, 3 K, with all five runs earned.
Kansas City got some offense going in the sixth, trying to close the gap. Vinnie Pasquantino pulled a solo home run to right with one out for his **500th career hit!** Then with two down, Carter Jensen singled and ended Jeffrey Springs’ night. Sacramento brought in Scott Blewett, who gave up another single to Tolbert, creating another opportunity for the good guys with runners in scoring position. Kyle Isbel could not keep the rally going though, so the inning ended 5-2. Alex Lange was the first Royal out of the pen and took care of the seventh with a tidy one-two-three. Elvis Alvarado did the same for the Athletics in the bottom half. Craig Kimbrel followed suit.
This sets up a possible four-game sweep for tomorrow afternoon. Will the A’s bullpen find answers to avoid it, or will the Royals finish the job? You know I’ll be tuned in!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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