Royals fall to Mariners due to incompetent offense, 5-2

The Royals lost, 5-2. They led into the seventh inning and Jason Hammel imploded, which was entirely predictable. But the real blame should be placed on the offense tonight.

Four hits were manufactured by the hapless, punchless Royals offense tonight. The 3-4-5 hitters went 0-for-11. It was painful to watch, as the team squandered multiple scoring chances, including a 2nd-and-3rd, 0-out situation. They did manage to score a run, but it was on a wild pitch. So technically the offense didn’t manufacture anything in that spot.

Kansas City’s two runs came on a fifth-inning single by Brandon Moss and a sixth-inning wild pitch that plated Whit Merrifield. That’s the highlight of the night for the Royals.

Jason Hammel did really well for the first six innings. He allowed just one run, a first-inning sac fly, and took a lead into the seventh. His pitch count was in the high 70s, but it was obvious to every single human on earth what was about to happen. Normally, that one human out of the loop wouldn’t matter, but in this case, it was Ned Yost. It mattered.

Yost, apparently expecting Hammel to not implode like he has in every other start this year, watched as the Royals starter blew the lead in a matter of moments. The Mariners scored three runs in the seventh to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead, though things weren’t helped by reliever Ryan Buchter, who allowed two of the three run-scoring hits.

Oh, and Brandon Maurer gave up a fifth run in the eighth. That San Diego trade is looking spectacular, Dayton.

I’d love to sit here and talk to you about this game more, but there really isn’t a whole lot more to say. Hammel got tagged with his ninth loss by allowing three runs on six hits in 6.1 innings of work. Seattle ace James Paxton threw his last pitch with his team losing, but he earned the win after the Mariners’ rally. Seattle’s bullpen retired all nine Royals hitters they faced.

Tomorrow is probably going to get rained out. Whenever these teams resume the series, it’ll be Danny Duffy and Felix Hernandez, which will be great to see.