Three Things to Take Away From the Royals' 3-2 Walk-Off Win Against Detroit
Thanks to a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning from designated hitter Carlos Santana, the Kansas City Royals were able to walk off the Detroit Tigers with a 3-2 victory on their annual Salute to the Negro League game.
Santana's game-ending home run was his seventh-career walk-off blast. The win moves Kansas City to 22-23 on the season, as the Royals have won six of their last nine games and sit four games out of first place in the American League Central.
The Tigers got 6 1/3 strong innings from starting pitcher Casey Mize. The 24-year-old allowed one run on three hits while collecting six strikeouts, stiflingly the Royals offense.
After Royals starter Kris Bubic's shakey two-run first inning, Detroit wouldn't score for the rest of the game.
Here are three takeaways from Kansas City's fifth loss to the Tigers this season.
The Carlos Santana signing continues to pay off.
The signing of Carlos Santana continues to look better and better after each game. This season, the Royals usual first baseman has slashed .257/.396/.856 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs. Santana went 5-for-12 in the series against the Tigers with one home run and five RBIs. Santana certainly has a presence in the box. Whether it's drawing a walk or putting a ball into the fountains, Santana seems to make an impact in nearly every game.
Kyle Zimmer is becoming a solid option out of the bullpen.
It's been a long road for Kyle Zimmer but it looks like he's found his niche in the bullpen. Zimmer made his first appearance since returning from the injured list earlier in the series against the Tigers and pitched well against the Royals' AL Central rival. In today's game, Zimmer struck out three and allowed no hits in two innings pitched. The 29-year-old picked up the win and lowered his ERA to 2.79 on the year.
The Royals bullpen held on.
Kansas City's bullpen has been under the radar recently as the Royals have lost some games in the later innings. Unlike Friday's game against the Tigers, the Royals relief pitchers were able to hold the Tigers scoreless after Bubic exited the game. Kansas City got solid innings from Tyler Zuber, Scott Barlow and Zimmer. While there were some shaky frames, the Royals bullpen did its job and gave the offense a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth. That's all you can ask for.
