KC Royals rally late, Bobby Witt saves a run ... but Rangers walk off: game recap

Jonah Heim’s walk-off home run was a crushing blow for both teams.

It gave the Rangers an 8-5 triumph over the Royals in the 10th inning, giving Texas victories in the first two games of the series. The shot emptied the home team dugout and a yellow energy drink bucket shower awaited Heim as he crossed the plate..

For the Royals, losses don’t come more disappointing. They had battled from a 4-2 deficit after seven innings and took a 5-4 lead in the 10th before the Rangers rallied back. Closer Scott Barlow surrendered Heim’s shot on a slider.

“Bad pitch, the very last pitch,” Barlow said. “Look back on video, talk with coaches, see what I can do better tomorrow.”

The Royals had scored a single run in each of the final three innings. In the 10th Jackie Bradley Jr. scored on Michael Massey’s sacrifice fly to give the Royals their first lead at 5-4.

It was a big moment for Massey, who had struck out in three of his previous four plate appearances.

“I was just trying to get it done for my teammates,” Massey said. “It had been a tough game for me out there, so just trying to think of my teammates in the dugout and not let them down.

“You might be able to go back and look at my mouth and watch me. ... I was literally saying it to myself, just trying to (do) it for them.”

Rangers starter Jacob deGrom left the game after seven innings with a 4-2 lead. But a night after a lopsided loss in the series opener, the Royals fought back.

They tied the game in the ninth. Kyle Isbel singled, pinch hitter Nicky Lopez walked and after Bobby Witt Jr.’s fly out to right moved Isbel to third, MJ Melendez brought him home with a sharp single to right.

Bradley grounded into a double play to end the threat.

In the eighth. Witt led off with a single, Melendez drew a walk and Salvador Perez picked up the RBI with a single up the middle.

Vinnie Pasquantino, who had three hits in his first three plate appearances, flew to deep center, moving both runners.

The Rangers intentionally walked Edward Olivares to load the bases. But that’s where it ended as reliever Will Smith overmatched Massey and Nate Eaton. Both went down on strikes.

On the night, the Royals were 4 for 20 with runners in scoring position., Witt’s single brought home Isbel in the third, and Franmil Reyes singled to bring home Pasquantino in the fourth.

The previous night in an 11-2 loss, the Royals went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and that made them 4 for 27 on this trip.

Missed the start of the series?

• Game 1: Royals whiff mightily (and often) as Rangers take first game

Seager beats the KC shift

A day after the Royals snared Corey Seager in their outfield shift, the Rangers slugger made an adjustment and got his revenge.

In Monday’s series opener, the Royals played Seager to pull, not by shifting infielders to the right side, which can’t happen with baseball’s new rules.

But Eaton, playing right field, moved in almost as a short fielder and the ploy worked. On a ground ball through the infield Eaton fielded the grounder and threw out Seager at first base, the first outfielder-to-first-base ground out for the Royals since 2011.

The Royals used the same strategy on Tuesday, with Melendez playing right. But he never got the ball. Seager walked in his first plate appearance, singled past Witt on the second and doubled to the left field corner.

On that hit, Seager came up limping on his way to second and left the game with what was announced as left hamstring tightness.

But he had done his job and beat the shift.

Royals’ web gems include Bobby Witt catch

It didn’t take long for Kyle Isbel to make a highlight reel play. The Rangers’ first hitter of the game, Marcus Semien, lofted what looked like a gap shot to left center. But Isbel ran it down and finished with a diving catch.

Witt’s grab in the 10th was just as impressive.

He tracked down Nathaniel Lowe’s fly in left field, with Semien at third base. One more out and the Royals would have walked off winners.

Up next

The Royals wrap up their first road trip of the season on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers. Brad Keller (1-1, 2.61 ERA) makes his third start this season and is coming off a victory in San Francisco. Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 4.22) is set to start for the Rangers.