Holland blows save as Royals fall to Yankees 6-5

The Royals were walked-off by New York, 6-5, on Wednesday, as Greg Holland blew his fourth save of the season.

After a nail-biting finish on Tuesday night, Kansas City looked to pounce on Yankees starter Michael King in the early going. Thanks to Ryan O’Hearn, the Royals did just that. Following a two-out double by Salvador Perez (later left the game after taking a pitch off the mask), the Kansas City first baseman poked a two-run bomb into the first row of seats in right field. It was O’Hearn’s third and fourth RBIs of the series.

In his first start since coming off the injured list, Danny Duffy didn’t skip a beat. Though he walked three, the left-hander struck out four in two scoreless innings. However, with a limited pitch count, the Royals needed the bullpen to shoulder the majority of the work load.

In the bottom of the fourth, New York finally got on the board off Carlos Hernandez. Hernandez, who couldn’t record an out in his last appearance, struggled finding the strike zone in the fourth. After he walked two, Clint Frazier smoked a double to the wall in right-center — scoring two runs and tying the game. The righty ended up walking three in two innings of work.

The score remained deadlocked at two up until the eighth inning. After Scott Barlow wiggled out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh, the Royals made New York pay in the top half of the eighth. On a 1-0 count, Carlos Santana pounded a solo home run over the bullpen in left-center field off Zack Britton — giving the Royals a 3-2 lead.

However, one of Kansas City’s most trusted bullpen arms squandered the lead in the bottom of the inning. Jake Brentz, who stifled left-handed hitters all year, left a pitch belt-high to Rougned Odor, who ripped a go-ahead, two-run homer.

That wasn’t the nail in the coffin, though. In the top of the ninth, Sebastian Rivero came up with the bases loaded and two outs. Sporting an 0-for-7 line in the big leagues, Rivero drew a four-pitch walk to tie the game. In the ensuing at-bat, O’Hearn used an “excuse me swing” to give Kansas City the lead off Chapman.

Mike Matheny handed the ball to Greg Holland for his second save in as many nights, but Gary Sanchez spoiled the party with a game-tying home run to left field. A few moments later, Luke Voit smacked a walk-off double — capping off a wild night.

The Royals, 33-39, will finish up their three-game set in New York tomorrow afternoon. Brad Keller will duel Jameson Taillon at 12:05 p.m. CT