By MATT PIKE
The Kansas City Royals came back to tie up the game in the seventh inning, but Los Angeles outfielder Jo Adell was too much to handle on this night for Kansas City as the Royals fell 4-3 at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Royals took the lead in the third inning to start the game. Michael Massey singled and Jac Caglianone walked, before a sacrifice bunt by Kyle Isbel brought Massey home, thanks to a throwing error by Angels first baseman Oswald Peraza, moving Isbel to second and Caglianone to third. Mike Yastrzemski's sacrifice fly brought Caglianone home extending the lead, putting the Royals up 2-0 at the end of three innings.
The Royals held that lead until the sixth inning as starting pitcher Ryan Bergert continued to impress since being acquired by the San Diego Padres, allowing just one hit through five innings. After a walk to start the sixth, Bergert was pulled for John Schreiber, who surrendered a single to Yoán Moncada and after striking out Taylor Ward gave up a go ahead three run home run to Adell, giving the Angels the 3-2 lead going to the bottom of the sixth.
Kansas City was retired in order in the bottom of the sixth, but in the bottom of the seventh tied up the game on back to back doubles with one out. Salvador Perez reached second safely, a call which was challenged by the Angels and was upheld, and was pinch run for by Tyler Tolbert, who scored on a double by Adam Frazier to knot the game up at 3-3 going into the eighth.
In the eighth though, it was Adell again giving Los Angeles the lead. With one out Moncada doubled off reliever Lucas Erceg, then moved to third on a flyout by Ward, before Adell beat out an infield single to Bobby Witt Jr who couldn't field the ball cleanly, giving the Angels the 4-3 lead. The Royals got Isbel to second base in the bottom of the eighth, but Witt Jr and Vinnie Pasquantino struck out to end the inning, before Kansas City went 1-2-3 in the ninth.
Erceg fell to 6-4 with the loss pitching one inning and giving up two hits and one run with one walk and one strikeout. Bergert pitched five innings in the no decision giving up one hit and one run with six strikeouts and three walks. At the plate, Massey was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Frazier was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI as the Royals had just four hits.
Kansas City and Los Angeles wrap up their series tomorrow. Noah Cameron (7-6, 2.92 ERA) starts the finale for the Royals after missing his last start on Saturday taking on Kyle Hendricks (6-9, 4.89 ERA) for the Angels. First pitch is at 6:40pm, pregame coverage begins at 6 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.