Houston Pitches a Shutout Through Five
Well, Royals fans, that was a tough one to swallow
. The game began with a lot of hope, as both teams seemed to struggle offensively. In the top of the 1st inning, we saw Maikel Garcia strike out swinging, Bobby Witt Jr. grounding out to third, and our captain Salvador Perez flying out to right.Our pitcher held his own as well, managing to keep the Astros at bay. Jose Altuve lined out to center, and both Yordan Alvarez and Yainer Diaz struck out swinging.
Both Teams Locking Horns But Offense Scarce
The 2nd inning was just as uneventful for our Royals, with Paul DeJong, Freddy Fermin, and MJ Melendez all failing to get on base. The Astros were also unable to break through, with all three of their batters striking out.By the end of the 3rd inning, it seemed like a pitching clinic was ensuing, with Garrett Hampson being our solitary ray of hope, doubling to right only to be left stranded.
Astros Strike Big in the 6th Inning
The 6th inning was when the game truly turned sour for us. With the bases loaded and no outs, Yainer Diaz singled to left, scoring two runs. The nightmare continued as Jeremy Peña tripled, bringing in two more runs. A wild pitch by Cruz then allowed Peña to score, making it 5-0.Royals Show Some Glimmers of Hope
Although the 7th inning brought us our first run (thanks to Freddy Fermin’s single and MJ Melendez's smart base running), it felt like too little, too late. Bobby Witt Jr. did blast a homer to left in the 8th inning, bringing some excitement back
, but the Astros' pitching was just too dominant.Final Attempts Fall Short
In the 9th inning, we had a small rally, but Melendez's single was all we could muster. Adam Frazier came in to pinch hit but grounded out to second, ending the game and our hopes for a comeback.Disappointed but hopeful, let’s keep cheering for our Royals! Next game, we’ll come back stronger!
Scoreboard for Royals @ Astros (August 31st, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 |