Royals Newcomer Has 7-Word Response To Trade From Padres, KC Debut
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All things considered, what a job by Kansas City Royals starter Ryan Bergert on Tuesday night.
Bergert was just getting settled into the big leagues with the San Diego Padres, the team that drafted him in 2021. But only 11 outings into his career, the Padres suddenly decided to trade him to Kansas City, alongside fellow right-hander Stephen Kolek, for catcher Freddy Fermin.
The trade went down on Thursday, and five days later, Bergert was on the mound at Fenway Park making his Royals start against the hottest team in the American League, the Boston Red Sox. And the Royals needed a win to get back to .500, which would be huge in their quest to make an odds-defying playoff surge.
Bergert did his part, but the Royals' offense couldn't keep up against the Red Sox and Garrett Crochet. The righty went 5 2/3 strong innings, and left the game with two outs and a runner on first base, who he'd walked on the last pitch of his outing. But he was a hard-luck loser, as that run came around to score and give the Red Sox a lead they'd never relinquish.
After the game, Bergert had a relatable response to the crazy week that has been.
“It’s been a crazy few days, honestly,” Bergert said, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com.
Bergert also took accountability for the go-ahead run scoring, though he allowed all of two hits, and the batter he walked was Alex Bregman, the most feared hitter in the Boston lineup.
"Can’t walk a guy with two outs, especially in that situation, tight ballgame,” Bergert said, per Rogers
Sadly, the Royals aren't in a position to accept moral victories. The 6-2 loss dropped them to 56-58, still four games back of a potential wild-card spot. But if they could take a moral victory, it would be that they've got a good one in Bergert under team control for the next half-decade.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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