Scott, Singer, and swingers scuffle, series swept 12-3

Brady Singer once again labored and Kansas City’s offense struggled against Martín Pérez as Texas completed the sweep with a 12-3 victory.

Things looked dicey for Singer from the jump. Marcus Semien singled on the second pitch of the game and then Travis Jankowski walked on four pitches. Semien would eventually come around to score on a sac fly by Adolis García. Singer managed to finish the inning without any further damage, but for the fourth time on this homestand, the Royals trailed before they even came to bat. They failed to answer in the bottom of the inning.

Singer started the second by once again getting himself into trouble, walking Jonah Heim. It looked like he might wiggle out of it for a minute, punching out Ezequiel Duran and Josh H. Smith. But Leody Taveras crushed a slider at 112.2 mph off the bat over the head of Edward Olivares in right, scoring Heim. Semien followed that up with a blooper down the right field line that brought home Taveras, giving Texas a 3-0 lead. It looked like things might get out of hand as Semien stole second, but Singer managed to punch out Jankowski to end the inning.

In the bottom of the second, Franmil Reyes broke up the no-hitter with his hardest hit ball since 2021 - a 113.4 mph laser to left field. This being the Royals, the next two batters went down on three pitches.

In the third, one of the two good batters on Kansas City’s roster injected some much-needed life into this game. Bobby Witt Jr. turned on a sinker from Pérez, depositing it 430 feet into the left field stands. Naturally, none of the other three batters in the inning accomplished anything.

Texas immediately got that run back. After a one-out walk to Smith, Singer threw Taveras the exact same down-and-in slider that Taveras crushed in the second inning. He did one better this time by legging out a triple. Semien followed with a grounder up the middle to make it 5-1 Rangers.

It was at this point I left to grab lunch. While I was gone, Reyes notched his second knock of the afternoon, MJ Melendez snapped an 0-18 with a single, and Singer tossed his only 1-2-3 inning of the game. Texas still led 5-1 when I got back.

In the sixth, Carlos Hernández bounced back from his disastrous outing yesterday with a clean inning that included two K’s. In the bottom of the frame came Kansas City’s best chance to rally. Vinnie Pasquantino led off the inning with a knock and Salvador Perez did a Salvy special by smoking a double on a pitch out of the zone. Incredibly, the Royals didn’t completely blow this opportunity as Reyes brought home a run on a sac fly. After a Melendez flyout, Matt Duffy did Matt Duffy things, lining a single to right to make it 5-3.

The good vibes lasted very little time. How’s this for a Taylor Clarke seventh inning: catcher’s interference, strikeout, walk, single, strikeout, single, double, single. It would have been even more hairy if Duran hadn’t run into an out at the plate to end the inning. But the damage was done. Clarke toiled through 32 pitches and walked back to the dugout with Texas leading 9-3.

The rest of the game...happened, I guess. The Royals didn’t score again. Aroldis Chapman pitched. Scott Barlow surrendered another dinger. Texas won 12-3.

Some nuggets:

• Edward Olivares and Hunter Dozier, both ostensibly in the lineup to hit lefties, were the only starters that failed to record a hit for the Royals.
• Brady Singer allowed 11 hard-hit balls (95+ mph exit velo). He has allowed at least 11 hard-hit balls in each of this last three starts. He didn’t allow more than ten hard-hit balls in a game in any of his first 64 career starts.
• In his last 19 innings pitched, Scott Barlow has served up two homers to batters named Jonah Heim, and zero homers to batters with any other name.

The Royals will fly out west and get the day off tomorrow before beginning a three-game set in Anaheim on Friday.

Brady Singer: 5.0 IP. 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 0 HR

Martín Pérez: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

Bobby Witt Jr.: 1-4, HR, RBI, R

Leody Taveras: 3-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R